Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid window of opportunity. Monday morning, the 31st of August, is looking like the standout of the whole run. We’ve got clean 4ft swell rolling in from the WSW with a nice 12-second period, pushing in with moderate wave energy (556). The wind is dead flat – glassy conditions. The water is sitting at 58°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The only buzzkill? This spot can get a bit of a crowd sometimes, so get in early.

That Monday afternoon, the wind switches to a light cross-onshore, and the quality drops off. The next few days are a bit of a write-off, I’m sorry to say. Tuesday the 1st through to Friday the 4th of September are plagued by persistent cross-onshore winds, mostly light to moderate breezes, keeping the surface lumpy and mushy. The swell hangs around, but the conditions are just messy.

Saturday the 5th sees a bit more size, with 7ft to 7ft swell, but the period drops to a junky 8 to 9 seconds, and that cross-onshore wind is still blowing 9 to 16 mph. That’s not great for a paddle; this kind of wind and choppy, short-period swell makes this more of a kite-surfing setup. The energy is ramping up though, hitting 1309 on Saturday morning.

Sunday the 6th of September offers a glimmer of hope. The swell is still around 5ft to 5ft from the SW, and the wind eases to a light breeze, but it’s still cross-onshore. It’s only marginal, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a few days.

The following week, from the 7th through to the 12th of September, is a frustrating stretch. The wind just won’t play ball, staying cross-on or cross-shore, with moderate to fresh breezes. The swell varies but the quality is poor. There’s a small window on the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September with light offshore winds and 4ft swell, but it’s short-lived and not enough to get excited about.

Things settle a little toward the end, on the 13th and 14th of September, but we’re still looking at messy, cross-onshore conditions with weak to moderate energy. It’s a long, gray stretch, really. A couple of weeks out, but nothing’s promising.

So, overall, it’s a tale of one truly good morning, with a lot of choppy, blown-out days surrounding it. Don’t sleep on that Monday morning glass-off, because the rest of the run is mostly a battle with the wind.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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