Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Ritoque over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of swell coming through, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story. The first few days are a bit of a tease. On Wednesday the 8th, we’ve got a 5ft SW swell at 15 seconds, but that cross-on breeze from the SW at 10 km/h is messing with the surface. It’s rideable, but not the cleanest.

Then Thursday morning, the 9th, is where it starts to get interesting. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SW, period drops slightly to 13 seconds, but the wind goes glassy. That’s the magic word. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget a good hood. The combined energy is strong at 1928, and it’s going to be clean for experienced surfers. That’s the standout of the first week.

The swell builds through Thursday afternoon, hitting 7ft, but the wind swings back to a light cross-on, so it’s not as good. Friday the 10th drops a bit in size, staying around 5ft to 5ft, with that same light cross-on breeze. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Saturday the 11th starts with a 6ft WSW swell, but the period is shorter at 10 seconds, and the wind picks up to 15 km/h cross-on, making it choppy. By the afternoon, it’s a write-off with 20 km/h winds.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th are smaller, with swell dropping to 4ft to 4ft. The real gem is Monday afternoon. The swell is only 5ft, but it’s a long-period 18-second groundswell from the WSW, combined energy at 1509, and it’s glassy. For a point break or reef setup, that long period would be a dream, but Ritoque is a beach break, so it might be a bit straight. Still, clean conditions with that much energy are worth a look.

Now, Tuesday the 14th morning is a big one. We’re looking at an 8ft swell from the WSW, 14-second period, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is pumping at 2714. That’s solid, powerful surf. For experienced surfers only. The wind holds light for the afternoon, but it goes cross-on, so the morning window is the pick.

The middle of the week drops off a bit. Wednesday the 15th is a mixed bag, with a 6ft swell in the morning and cross-shore wind, but Thursday the 16th is small, with only 2ft to 3ft. Not much to get excited about.

Then we get a big spike on Friday the 17th afternoon. The swell is 13ft from the NW, period 12 seconds, combined energy at 4169. That’s massive. The wind is cross-off at 25 km/h, which is clean, but the report says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert territory, and even then, it’s sketchy. The morning of the 17th is also big at 8ft, but with a cross-shore wind.

The weekend of the 18th and 19th is windy and rainy. Saturday the 18th is a mess with strong winds, and Sunday the 19th afternoon has a clean 8ft WNW swell, but the wind is cross-off, so it’s doable for the brave.

Monday the 20th is a total loss with a near gale, and Tuesday the 21st morning offers a clean 8ft WSW swell with light cross-off winds. That’s another good window for experienced surfers, with combined energy at 1871.

The rest of the forecast runs into smaller, wind-affected swell, with the 23rd Thursday being the last day of note, but the wind is blowing.

Overall, the best bets are Thursday morning the 9th for the glassy conditions and Monday afternoon the 13th for the long-period glassy session. Tuesday morning the 14th is the standout for size and power, but it’s for experts only. The 13ft on Friday the 17th is a beast, but it might be too much for the spot.

Rusty, signing off.

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