Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Ritoque over the next couple of weeks.

This is a spot that's exposed to the swell, and it's a fairly consistent break, but we've got a real mixed bag of conditions coming up. The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is running about 0.9° above normal for this time of year – nothing too wild, just a touch warmer than average.

The forecast starts off pretty average. On Wednesday 26 August, we've got a small 5ft to 6ft WSW swell, but the wind is a light cross and cross-on breeze, and the combined energy is only 672 to 930 (moderate), so it's nothing to get excited about. It's a marginal call. Thursday 27 August is where things get interesting, but it's not for the faint-hearted. The swell jumps up to a solid 12ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the energy goes through the roof at 4948 (strong). That's a lot of water moving. The wind is light and cross-on, but this is way too big for most – it's an expert-only zone if you're even considering it. The forecast says it's actually too big for the break.

Friday 28 August drops back to an 8ft WSW swell, but it's still a sizeable 13-14 second period and the energy is in the 2125-2253 range (strong). The wind is light cross-on, and the forecast is calling it marginal. The pick of the bunch, and I'm calling it the standout, is Saturday 29 August morning. The swell drops to 7ft from the WSW, period 12 seconds, and the energy is 1177 (moderate). But the real treat is the glassy conditions – that's right, glassy, with a slight air. That means clean, smooth waves. It's a solid size for experienced surfers, and the wind is your friend. This is where you want to be.

Later on Saturday afternoon and into Sunday, things get a bit messy again with cross-on winds, but Sunday 30 August afternoon has another glassy window with a 5ft WSW swell and 11-second period, and the energy is 639 (moderate). The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions," so that's a solid backup session.

From Monday 31 August onwards, things turn pretty ordinary. The wind picks up, with moderate to fresh breezes from the SSW and SW, creating chop and cross-chop. The swell stays small, around 4ft to 5ft, and the energy drops to the 580-720 range (weak to moderate). The forecast calls it poor or marginal for most of the first week of September. There's a brief pulse on Thursday 3 September with a 5ft WSW swell and a 15-second period, giving 1072 energy (moderate), but it's still cross-on and fairly choppy.

The second week, from around 6 September onward, we see a shift to a longer-period SW groundswell, with periods hitting 15 to 20 seconds. The swell sizes are moderate, 3ft to 6ft, but the energy picks up to 1015-1865 (moderate to strong). The wind is still mostly cross-on though, and the forecast keeps it marginal. There's a glimmer on Tuesday 8 September morning with a light onshore wind from the west, and a 6ft SW swell at 15 seconds, giving 1354 energy (moderate) – that could be worth a look if you're keen. But overall, the second week is a bit of a grind with plenty of marginal conditions.

So, bottom line: if you're an experienced surfer, get out there on Saturday 29 August morning for the glassy conditions and a solid 7ft swell. Sunday afternoon is your next best bet. The rest of the window is either too big, too chopped, or just too marginal to get the heart racing.

Rusty.

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