Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Ritoque over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid window of surf ahead, but it’s a tale of two halves. The first week is all about fairly consistent, manageable waves with some clean windows, while the second week brings a proper pulse of southwest groundswell that will be too much for most. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout is the morning of Saturday, 1st August. We’re looking at a clean 6ft swell from the southwest, with a 12-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and with glassy offshore winds from the east-northeast, it’s going to be pristine. The combined energy is cranking at 1048 (moderate to strong), so there’s plenty of punch. This is the pick of the fortnight for an intermediate surfer.

Before that, Tuesday morning (28 July) is a big one, but it’s for experienced surfers only. You’ve got a 8ft southwest swell with a 12-second period, and glassy conditions. The energy is high at 1641 (strong). It’s a heavy wave, so only for those who know what they’re doing. Wednesday morning (29 July) is a nice step down to 4ft, still glassy, and a 12-second period – a good session for the intermediate crew.

The weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August is mixed. Saturday afternoon is still clean with 5ft, but Sunday morning drops to 3ft – glassy, but small. The week of the 4th gets a bit messy with cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions, though Wednesday afternoon (5 August) has a weirdly long 16-second period swell at 4ft from the south-southwest, with clean offshore winds – that’s a novelty, but it’s a small one.

Now, the second week. From Friday, 7th August, things get out of control. The swell jumps to 12ft from the southwest, with a 14-second period, and the energy is massive – 4501 (very strong). It’s too big for Ritoque. The same goes for the 8th, 9th, and 10th. These are expert-only, if anyone even paddles out. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, which makes it even more of a mess. This setup is honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Tuesday, 11th August, sees a drop back to 7ft, but with a cross-shore wind and lumpy conditions. The 16-day window fades out with a 6ft on Wednesday, 12th August, with light cross-onshore wind ripples – not a classic.

So, to wrap it up: set your alarm for Saturday morning, 1st August. That’s the one. The rest of the first week has clean moments, but the big stuff after the 7th is for the brave or the kite crew.

Rusty.

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