Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, crew. Rusty here. Let's take a look at what Ritoque has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. The water's sitting at about 57°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

The first half of the window is a bit of a mixed bag. We've got consistent swell, but the winds are mostly a letdown. Tuesday the 18th kicks off with a 4ft SW swell and a light cross-onshore breeze. It's ridable, but messy. The low score tells the story. Tuesday afternoon gets worse, with a bigger 5ft swell but a moderate cross-onshore wind that'll chop it right up. Not great.

Wednesday the 19th is where things get interesting. The morning is still a bit onshore with a 6ft SW swell, but the period is a very long 15 seconds – that's real groundswell energy. The afternoon is the real standout for the first week. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and the swell is still a solid 6ft, shifting to the WSW. This is a special window. The combined energy is strong (1588), and with glassy conditions, it's going to be clean and powerful. This is a session for the experienced crew, as 6ft with that period will have some punch. Wednesday afternoon is the one to circle.

Thursday and Friday are a write-off with onshore winds and choppy, poor conditions. Saturday the 22nd morning offers a bit of hope with a 5ft SW swell and glassy conditions, but the energy is weak (474) and the period is short (8 seconds). It'll be fun, but nothing like Wednesday. Sunday the 23rd is small and clean, but the 3ft swell is hardly worth paddling out for.

The middle of the week is a bit of a lull. Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are small and average. Then on Wednesday the 26th, the swell picks up again. The morning has a 6ft WSW swell with a 12-second period and clean cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is moderate (960). This is a very good session, with clean, head-high waves.

Now, the second week gets serious, but it's more for the fearless. Friday the 28th of August pushes up to a 10ft WSW swell in the afternoon. That's huge. The energy is extreme (3348). The wind is cross-onshore, but the report says it's simply too big for this break. That's expert territory only, and maybe even a bit out of control. The morning of the 28th also has a 7ft swell with onshore wind, so it's a day to watch from the sand.

The real wildcard is Tuesday the 1st of September. The afternoon goes glassy again with a 7ft SW swell and a 14-second period. The combined energy is very strong (2612). This is another excellent window, but it's a long way out. Keep an eye on it. The morning of the 2nd of September also has a solid 8ft SW swell.

Overall, the best bets are Wednesday afternoon the 19th of August for the glassy, clean, powerful groundswell, and the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September as a promising long-range target. The rest of the time, you're fighting the wind or waiting for that next pulse.

Rusty.

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