Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s brewing for the next couple of weeks at Ritoque. It’s a pretty mixed bag, so let’s not waste time.

The water is sitting at 59°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest of suits for the first few days.

We start off on Wednesday the 2nd of September, and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner. The morning offers a clean-ish 3ft SW swell with a very long period of 18 seconds, but it’s coming from the wrong side of the wind – a light cross-on. The wave energy is weak (578), so it’s not doing much. That afternoon, the wind picks up and it gets messy. Not our day.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are frustrating. The swell builds a little, hitting 3ft to 4ft, but the wind is a moderate cross-on, chopping it all up. The energy gets a bit stronger on Thursday morning (1312) but the quality is just not there. Friday afternoon sees the swell jump to 7ft, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds, and with that wind, it’s just a bumpy, weak mess.

Saturday the 5th is the first real glimmer of hope. The morning has a solid 7ft SW swell with a gentle breeze, still cross-on, but cleaner. The energy is pumping (1422). It’s a bit big for beginners, but for the experienced crew, it’s got some push. The afternoon backs off to 4ft but the long period (18 seconds) returns, and the energy is huge (1586). That’s the session to aim for on Saturday – the long period groundswell will be lining up nicely, though it might be a bit straight at the beach. Keep an eye on the tide.

Sunday the 6th of September is also worth a look. The morning has a clean 5ft SW swell (15 second period) with a light breeze, and the energy is very strong (1400). That’s a proper surf day. The wind is still cross-on, but light enough that it won’t ruin it. After that, the week tails off. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th hang in with 5ft to 3ft, but the energy drops and the wind is light, mostly cross-on. It’s surfable, but not shouting.

We hit a bit of a lull from Wednesday the 9th through to the end of the first week. The swell drops under 3ft, and the energy levels are weak. The wind goes light and even offshore on a few occasions, but there just isn’t enough swell to get excited about.

There’s a gap of a few days of weak, small surf before we get a bit of a pulse again on Saturday the 12th of September. The morning shows solid 6ft SW swell, light wind, and good energy (852). The afternoon is the real standout for the second week: a 4ft WSW swell with a very long 16-second period and light wind. The energy is massive (1215). That’s a long-period groundswell that will wrap in nicely. It’s one of the best of the whole outlook.

Sunday the 13th is still okay with 5ft, but after that, the forecast looks like a slow fade. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th drop to 3ft and 3ft, with poor conditions. The energy is weak. We get a little spike on Thursday the 17th with 6ft SSW swell and light winds, but it’s still cross-on. The energy is moderate (992), but it’s a long way out and could change.

The pick of the bunch? Without a doubt, Saturday afternoon (5th September) and then Saturday afternoon (12th September). The 5th has the biggest energy and that long period, while the 12th has the cleaner long-period groundswell with light wind. Both are solid for intermediate to advanced surfers. Crowds are listed as "sometimes" at Ritoque, so on a good Saturday, you might have to share.

If you’re a beginner, the size on the 5th morning (7ft) is at the top end of your comfort zone, and anything over 7ft is for the experts only.

Stay tuned, Ritoque.

Rusty.

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