Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Ritoque. We’ve got a solid window of clean surf coming up, but you’ll need to be patient through a few messy days in the middle.

Right away, starting Saturday afternoon, the 25th, we’re on. The water’s sitting at 55°, just a touch cooler than average for this time of year, but you won’t feel it with the stoke. We’ve got a 2ft swell rolling in from the WSW, with a long 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell, meaning real shape and power. The wind is glassy, dead calm, and the combined energy is sitting at a moderate 508. It’s gonna be clean, lined up, and sweet. Sunday morning (26th) keeps the good times going with another 3ft WSW swell, 13-second period, still glassy. Then Sunday afternoon, the swell drops a touch to 2ft but the period stretches to 17 seconds – very long, clean lines. The combined energy bumps to 643. This is classic, point-break style surfing for Ritoque.

Now, Monday morning, the 27th, things get a bit average. The wind swings NW and picks up, making it cross-on and choppy. The swell jumps to 6ft, but the period drops to 10 seconds – lumpy, short-period stuff. Not your friend. But hold on – Monday afternoon, the wind drops back to glassy, and the swell pushes to 8ft from the WSW with a 14-second period. The combined energy hits 2143 (strong energy). That’s a big, clean, powerful swell. This one’s for the experienced crew only – over 8ft is expert territory, and this is close to it. The waves will be heavy.

Tuesday (28th) through Thursday (30th) is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell stays decent in size, between 3ft and 8ft, but the wind is cross or cross-on, putting a bit of texture on the face. The energy drops from 1562 down to 165 by Thursday afternoon. It’s surfable but not the best. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are similar – small, messy, or cross-shore winds. Not worth getting too excited about.

Here’s the standout: Saturday afternoon, the 1st of August. The wind goes glassy again, swell is 6ft from the W with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is 681 (moderate). Clean, fun waves for everyone. But the real magic is Sunday, the 2nd of August. A 10ft W swell, 13-second period, clean cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is a massive 2958 (strong to very strong). That’s a big, clean, powerful swell – but honestly, at 10ft, it’s too big for this break. This is for the absolute experts only, or maybe the kitesurfers if the wind stays favorable. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at that size.

Early the following week, Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th, we get another round of excellent surf. Clean offshore winds, 8ft to 8ft WSW swell, 12-13 second periods, combined energy around 2000-2400. This is heavy, powerful, clean surf. Again, expert territory. Wednesday the 5th through Sunday the 9th of August stays big, with swells between 7ft and 13ft. The combined energy peaks at a massive 6307 on Wednesday afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving. It’s mostly too big for Ritoque, but the glassy conditions on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th will be a sight to behold for the brave. The 13ft SW swell on Wednesday and Thursday is pure, raw power. For the rest of us, it’s a day to watch.

So, the best on offer: Saturday afternoon, the 1st of August, for the clean, fun-sized 6ft swell. And for the experts, the Sunday the 2nd of August session with the 10ft clean swell is the standout – but you’ve been warned, it’s a big one.

Rusty.

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