Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Ritoque, and we’ve got a bit of a slow cooker here, but there are some tasty windows if you’re patient.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about a degree warmer than normal for this time of year. Nothing wild, but it’s a slight touch warmer than usual, so you might not need the thickest rubber straight away.

The week starts off pretty quiet. Tuesday the 25th is a write-off – tiny 2ft to 3ft swells and a light cross breeze making for messy, marginal surf. Not worth paddling out for. There’s a gap of a couple of days before we see anything decent.

Wednesday morning the 26th is where things start to get interesting. The swell jumps to 5ft from the WSW, period at 12 seconds, and the wind goes glassy – that’s a major positive. The combined swell energy is moderate at 565. This is clean, surfable, and ideal for intermediates. The swell direction is right in the sweet spot (SW optimum), so the waves have some shape. Crowds are “sometimes” a thing here, but on a Wednesday morning with this kind of setup, you might get a few out, but it won’t be packed.

Thursday the 27th is a big one but it’s for experts only. The swell hits 12ft with a long 14-second period, and the energy is massive at 4948. That’s strong to very strong. The wind is light onshore, but the size and power make this a heavy, challenging day. This is not a beginner’s spot. The waves will be big, powerful, and with that long period, they’ll be lining up but breaking heavy. If you’re not comfortable in overhead+ surf, sit this one out.

Friday the 28th is still big at 8ft, but the wind gets a bit tricky with a cross-on breeze. The energy is still strong at 2188. It’s a solid day for experienced surfers but the wind isn’t perfect. Saturday morning the 29th drops to 6ft, but again cross-on wind, and the energy is moderate at 1033. It’s okay, but nothing standout.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are similar – around 5ft to 6ft, all with cross or cross-on winds, mediocre energy. The quality is marginal, and the shape won’t be great. You can surf, but it’s more of a grovel.

Tuesday the 1st of September sees a drop in period to 10 seconds, and the wind gets stronger. The swell is 6ft but the quality is poor – choppy and messy. Not worth it.

Wednesday the 2nd is worse – a mix of weak swell and a 16 mph cross breeze, making for poor conditions.

Now, here’s the real standout of the whole outlook: Saturday the 5th of September. The morning session is a gem. Swell is a solid 7ft from the WSW, 14-second period, and the wind is glassy. The combined swell energy is 1407 – strong. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The waves will have good shape, plenty of power, and clean faces. The wind is glassy offshore, so the surface will be smooth. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Crowds are possible, but with this quality, it’s worth the company.

The rest of the second week fades out. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th have smaller swell (4ft to 6ft) and cross-on winds, not great. By Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th, it’s tiny again – 2ft to 3ft, with some glassy windows but not enough size to get excited.

So, bottom line: if you’re keen, aim for Wednesday the 26th morning for a clean, fun session, or Thursday the 27th if you’re an expert looking for a challenge. But the real standout is Saturday the 5th of September morning – glassy, 7ft, long period, and clean. That’s the one.

Rusty.

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