Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for Ritoque over the next couple of weeks. It’s not all firing on all cylinders, but there are a couple of windows that look truly special if you’re willing to play the waiting game. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, with messy, marginal conditions. Monday the 27th kicks off with a 5ft W swell (10 seconds) and a light cross-shore breeze, but the energy is only moderate at 919 and the quality is questionable. The afternoon builds to 6ft but the wind turns cross-onshore, so it’s not worth rushing out for.

Tuesday the 28th offers a bit more size, with a 8ft WSW swell (12 seconds) in the morning, but it is still cross-shore and the combined energy hits 1641 – solid, but the wind isn’t playing ball. The afternoon cleans up with a glassy offshore WNW breeze at 5 km/h, and the swell drops to 7ft (11 seconds) with 1146 energy. That’s a good window for a late session, though the 7ft is getting a bit big for the beginners.

Now, Wednesday the 29th is the first real standout. The morning is dead glassy with zero wind, a 5ft W swell at a long 12 seconds, and combined energy of 663. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions” – and that’s exactly what it looks like. Clean, lined-up waves for the intermediate crew. The afternoon drops off quickly, so make the most of the early.

Thursday the 30th is fading fast, with the swell dropping to 3ft by the morning and energy down to 272. The wind goes cross-onshore, and it’s small and weak. Friday the 31st is a mess – 55 km/h cross-shore winds in the morning with a 7ft WNW swell (9 seconds) and 724 energy, but it’s nearly gale-force. The afternoon settles a bit: a 4ft W swell (10 seconds) with a clean cross-offshore breeze, but it’s small.

Saturday the 1st of August is another gem. The morning is glassy flat-calm, with a 6ft WSW swell (11 seconds) and 772 energy – clean, punchy, and set up nicely. The afternoon picks up a touch to 6ft but a light cross-onshore creeps in, so stick to the morning.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd both have good glassy or cross-off windows. Sunday morning is 5ft (9 seconds) with a clean cross-off NE breeze, energy at 495, and the afternoon goes glassy again. Monday morning is glassy with a 5ft W swell (9 seconds) and 538 energy – another very good session on offer.

The second week gets a bit more complicated. From Tuesday the 4th, the swell picks up in period but the wind gets messy. The 4th has a 4ft WSW swell at 14 seconds (969 energy) but moderate cross-onshore winds. Wednesday the 5th sees a 3ft SW swell at a very long 16 seconds (887 energy), but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy. The long period here is better suited to a point or reef, but Ritoque is an exposed beach, so that long period might make it a bit too straight.

The real standout for the second week is Monday the 10th of August. The morning is glassy with a 6ft SW swell (11 seconds) and 1174 energy. The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – and that’s the truth. That’s a solid, clean swell for the crew who know what they’re doing. It’s a bit much for the learners, but for the experienced, it’s the pick of the whole outlook.

The gap between the Sunday 3rd and this Monday 10th is a bit of a flat or messy run, with only a few average windows in between. The final day, Tuesday the 11th, has a clean cross-offshore ENE breeze with a 5ft SW swell (10 seconds) and 843 energy – a nice way to finish if you’re patient.

Rusty out.

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