Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about the next couple of weeks on the water.

First up, Ritoque is your main spot for this whole run. It’s exposed to the southwest and picks up a solid pulse of groundswell early on. The water is sitting at 55° which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent suit.

Monday the 6th kicks things off with a 7ft SW groundswell pushing in, period a meaty 15 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1703, but the wind is light cross-shore in the morning. It’s not perfect but there’s definitely some wave there. The afternoon goes cross-on, which will bump it up a bit, but it’s still rideable.

Tuesday the 7th morning is where it starts to get good. The swell drops to 4ft, but the wind goes glassy—dead calm. That’s the cleanest you’ll see all week. Combined energy is moderate at 669, but with that offshore-looking SSE wind and glassy surface, the waves will be tidy and fun for an intermediate. The afternoon gets a touch of cross-on, so morning is the call.

Wednesday the 8th morning is a standout. Swell picks back up to 5ft, period stretching to 16 seconds, and it’s dead glassy with zero wind. The energy is strong again at 1682. This is textbook for experienced surfers—long-period SW groundswell, clean, powerful. It won’t be super easy for beginners at that size, especially with that 16-second period, but for anyone with a bit of time in the water, this is the best session of the whole outlook. Afternoon goes cross-on and choppy, so get in early.

Thursday the 9th drops a bit in quality. The swell holds around 5ft to 6ft but the wind is cross-on and building through the day. It’s not bad, but it’s not the glassy peak we just had.

Friday the 10th through to Sunday the 12th is all pretty average. Swell sits around 4ft to 5ft, winds are light cross-on, wave energy moderate. Nothing to write home about.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th get worse. Swell is small, winds get stronger, conditions turn poor. There’s a stretch of marginal to poor days here. Not much to chase.

Wednesday the 15th brings a drop in period to 9 seconds and then 8 seconds in the afternoon. The waves get short, choppy, and messy. Not really worth it.

Now, hold onto your board. Thursday the 16th brings a massive jump: 12ft SW swell with a 19-second period in the morning, 18 seconds in the afternoon. Combined energy goes through the roof—8944 and 8368. That is a very large, very long period groundswell. The wind is light cross-on in the morning and goes glassy in the afternoon—that’s incredible wind for that size. But here’s the catch: it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a warning. Only absolute experts should even think about it, and even then, it’ll be a beast. The tide and wind are favorable, but size and period like that can make a beach setup like Ritoque a washing machine. If you’re not experienced, don’t go. This is more a spectacle than a paddle session.

Friday the 17th drops to 8ft but winds are cross-on and building, so it’s messy and big. Saturday the 18th drops to 8ft to 7ft, still cross-on. The energy remains strong.

Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th settle down to 5ft to 4ft with light cross-on winds. It’s back to being small and average.

Tuesday the 21st tails off with tiny 3ft to 3ft waves and poor conditions in the afternoon. The run is done.

If I’m calling the two best windows: Wednesday morning July 8th is the absolute standout—clean, glassy, 5ft of 16-second SW groundswell with strong energy. Perfect for experienced surfers. And keep an eye on Thursday July 16th for the raw power—that 12ft, 19-second glassy afternoon session—but only if you’ve got the skills and the respect for big water. Everyone else, stick to the 8th.

Between those, there are plenty of average days and a few rough ones. The 13th through 15th are a write-off. This isn’t a nonstop run of perfection, but there are two gems in there if you pick your moment.

Rusty out.

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