Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Right, let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Ritoque over the next couple of weeks. First thing to note: the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got some real gems hiding in the second half of the run. The real standout is going to be Tuesday the 28th of July, and then again later on Friday the 31st of July and into early August. The swell energy is moderate to strong through the whole period, with combined energy values mostly in the three-digit range, and even nudging into four digits.

Saturday the 25th of July is a write-off – light cross-shore wind and pretty marginal surf. Not worth paddling out for. Sunday the 26th of July morning is a different story. The wind goes glassy, absolutely dead calm, with a 3.3ft W swell coming in at a tidy 10 seconds. That’s clean, clean, clean. The energy is moderate (540). This is a nice little session for the intermediate crew – not too big, not too small.

Monday the 27th of July is a mess. The morning has a 6.2ft W swell but the wind is cross-onshore at 9.3 mph, and it’s lumpy. The afternoon bumps up to 8.2ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and the conditions are marginal. The energy is strong (2690), but the quality isn’t there for a paddle session. If you’ve got a kite, this might be your thing.

Now, Tuesday the 28th of July – this is the one. The morning is clean, with a cross-offshore breeze at just 3.1 mph. Swell is 8.2ft from the WSW, period 12 seconds, energy strong at 1849. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The break is fairly consistent, and the crowds can be a thing sometimes, so get in early. The afternoon is still good but a bit smaller and choppier.

Wednesday the 29th of July is a beauty for the morning – glassy conditions again, 3.9ft W swell at 12 seconds, energy moderate (544). Sweet, clean lines. The afternoon stays glassy with a 3.6ft W swell. Perfect for a long, relaxed session.

Thursday the 30th of July drops off. The morning is a bit choppy, and the afternoon is a complete no-go with poor surf and a moderate cross-shore wind. Friday the 31st of July morning is marginal, but the afternoon – wow. Glassy, 6.2ft W swell at 13 seconds, energy strong (1163). That’s a top-tier session for experienced surfers. Clean, powerful, and the swell direction is right in the sweet spot for the break.

Saturday the 1st of August and Sunday the 2nd of August both offer clean conditions with cross-offshore winds. Waves are in the 6.6ft to 7.5ft range from the W, with periods around 10-12 seconds. Energy is strong (around 1000-1248). This is good, solid, experienced surfer territory. The break is fairly consistent, so you can expect waves.

Monday the 3rd of August is a write-off – strong winds and rain. Tuesday the 4th of August morning is glassy again with a 6.2ft WSW swell, but the afternoon gets too big at 9.8ft – that’s expert-only, and even then, the wind is onshore. Wednesday the 5th of August is a bit messy with cross-shore winds, but the swell is still solid at 6.6-7.9ft.

Thursday the 6th of August is another cracker. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore breeze, 6.9ft WSW swell, period 11 seconds, energy strong (1596). The afternoon is glassy, 7.2ft WSW swell, period 11 seconds, energy very strong (1898). This is an excellent day for experienced surfers.

Friday the 7th of August morning is a bit onshore, but the afternoon turns to dead calm, zero wind, glassy, 6.9ft SW swell at 12 seconds, energy strong (1487). That’s a beautiful, clean, powerful swell. The weekend of the 8th and 9th of August fades out, with the wind picking up and the swell dropping, so not much to get excited about.

Overall, the best bets are the glassy windows: Sunday morning the 26th of July, Wednesday morning the 29th of July, Friday afternoon the 31st of July, and Thursday afternoon the 6th of August. The Tuesday the 28th of July morning is also a standout for the bigger, more powerful swell. Surf’s up.

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