Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Ritoque stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th have some size, but the wind is all over the place on Saturday, making for a messy cross-chop. Sunday morning though, we get a bit of a reprieve. The wind drops to glassy, and we've got a 5ft W swell at 11 seconds. The water is sittin' a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 54°. The wave energy is moderate (844). It's not a standout, but it's a decent session if you're keen. Sunday arvo holds similar with a 5ft W swell.

Then Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are a total write-off. Strong winds and rain, the swell drops right off, and the energy is weak. Forget about it.

Now, here's the first real standout. Wednesday the 22nd of July. The morning is firing! Clear skies, glassy as a mirror, and a solid 8ft W swell with a 12-second period. That's a proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong (1736). This is going to be pumping, but at that size, over 8ft, it's expert territory only. The afternoon sees a bit of a cross-onshore wind, keeping it from being perfect.

The rest of that week and into the next is a mixed bag. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are average, with light winds but not the best swell. Saturday the 25th has a weird one – a 3ft swell with a 16-second period. That's a very long period swell, so the waves will be long and lined up, but a bit fat. It's a good one for a point break or reef, but at Ritoque, a beach break, it might be a bit too straight. Sunday the 26th is small and glassy, good for a longboard.

But then, Monday the 27th of July is another proper standout. Another 7ft to 7ft W swell, 11-12 seconds, and glassy conditions in the morning. The energy is strong (1554). This is a big, powerful swell. Again, for experienced surfers only. Tuesday the 28th is even bigger, with a 8ft W swell at 14 seconds, but it's a light cross-onshore wind, so it'll be a bit bumpy.

The second week has some promise. Wednesday the 29th of July afternoon is a beauty. Clean offshore wind from the ESE, with a 6ft SW swell at 11 seconds. That's a sweet combo. The energy is strong (1132). This is a solid session. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are smaller and less clean.

Then we get into August. Saturday the 1st of August morning is glassy again with a 4ft WSW swell at 14 seconds. Very long period, so again, expect long lines and longer waits between sets. Decent. Sunday the 2nd of August sees a massive 10ft WSW swell roll in with a 15-second period, but the wind is howling from the NNW at 15-16 mph. The energy is massive (3522), but it's gonna be a wild, messy, and dangerous lineup. That's one for the big-wave chargers only, and even then, it's more of a kite-surfing kind of day.

All in all, the best bets are the glassy mornings on the 22nd and 27th of July for the experienced crew, and the clean offshore session on the afternoon of the 29th of July. The first week has the most reliable windows.

Rusty.

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