Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Yo, what's happening? Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Ritoque are looking pretty average. We've got a lot of days with onshore winds messing up the lines, but there are a few windows where the conditions might line up for a session.

The pattern is a persistent cross-onshore flow from the SSW, which is going to chop up the surface most of the time. The swell is hanging around from the SW, but the wind is just not doing us any favors. The combined wave energy fluctuates, hitting a moderate to strong level, like 1312 on Thursday, but it's all messy.

Let's start with the first real chance: Saturday morning, September 5th. We're looking at a 7ft SW swell with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is a gentle breeze from the SW. The combined energy is strong at 1422, but it's still cross-onshore, so it'll be a bit lumpy. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've got early on.

Then, Sunday morning, September 6th is a bit of a standout. The wind finally swings around to a direct onshore from the W, but it's only a light breeze at 6 mph. The swell is 5ft from the SW with a long 15-second period, and the combined energy is strong at 1382. That long period means more energy and better shaped waves, but it's still onshore, so it'll be a bit bumpy. Still, it's the cleanest option in the first week.

The big issue is the crowds. Ritoque can get busy, and with the forecast being a bit meh, the locals might be the only ones out. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

After Sunday, it's a bit of a grind. The wind stays cross-onshore for most of the next week, with the swell dropping down. The best chance in the second week looks like Saturday morning, September 12th. The wind is a light air from the WSW, barely a whisper, with a 4ft swell from the W. That swell has a very long 18-second period, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate at 1257, but the light wind means it could be glassy. Keep in mind, a long period swell like that can break a bit straight at a beach break, but it could offer some clean lines. This is a promising but less certain call that far out.

Sunday, September 13th morning offers a 6ft WSW swell with a 14-second period and a gentle breeze, but it's still cross-onshore, so not ideal.

The last real blip is Friday morning, September 18th, with a 8ft SW swell and a 14-second period. The combined energy is strong at 2732, but the wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-onshore. That's big, powerful, and messy – only for the experienced crew.

So, to sum it up: the best bets are Sunday morning, September 6th for the cleanest conditions, and Saturday morning, September 12th for a potential glassy session with a long-period groundswell. Don't expect perfection, but there are waves to be had.

Rusty.

Read more