Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Ritoque over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things kick off proper on Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning session is the standout early on: a solid 8ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind is dead calm, glassy. That’s going to be clean and powerful, but at this size, it’s really for the experienced crew. The combined swell energy is pumping at 1641 (strong), so you’ll feel the juice. The afternoon gets a bit questionable with a light onshore breeze, so aim for the early.

Wednesday the 29th is a write-off – the wind is cross-on and the swell has dropped to 4ft. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 30th is no good either. Strong cross-shore winds, 12 to 19 mph, making a mess of things. The swell is up a bit on Thursday afternoon, 5ft, but with that fresh cross-chop, it’s more of a kite session than a paddle session.

Now, here’s a nice little silver lining: Friday the 31st of July. The morning brings a clean 7ft WNW swell with an offshore breeze from the east (6 mph). That’s clean faces and a decent push. The combined energy is 994 (moderate), so it’s got some grunt. The afternoon stays offshore, a bit smaller at 5ft, but still clean. This is a good day for a solid session.

Then Saturday the 1st of August is another morning gem. Glassy conditions, 7ft SW swell with a 12-second period, and the energy is back up to 1374 (strong). This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon turns cross-on, so again, early bird gets the clean waves.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are small and marginal – 4ft and 5ft, mostly with light onshore or cross-shore wind. Not much to write home about.

Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th of August see a big jump in size and period. By Wednesday morning, we’re looking at a 7ft WSW swell with a 16-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is 1948 (strong). But the wind is cross-shore at 12-16 mph, so it’s going to be bumpy. This is a powerful swell, but the conditions aren’t doing it any favours. The afternoon on Wednesday is even bigger at 8ft and 2596 energy, but the wind is still cross. This setup is more for the big-wave chargers who can handle the chop.

Thursday the 6th of August is still big, 8ft to 8ft SW swell, 14-second period, but the wind is light cross-on, so it’s a bit messy. Still, plenty of power (2161 to 2491 energy).

Now, the real standout is Friday the 7th of August. The morning is forecast to be glassy, with a 10ft SW swell and a 14-second period. The combined energy is a massive 4168 (very strong). But – and this is a big but – the forecast says it’s too big for this break. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, it might be a washing machine. Same story for Saturday the 8th, with 10ft swell and cross-shore winds.

We start to ease off on Sunday the 9th of August. The afternoon is looking good: 7ft SW swell, 12-second period, and glassy conditions. The energy is 1480 (strong). This is a much more manageable size and clean. Then Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August bring smaller, glassy or very light wind conditions – 4ft to 6ft, with periods around 12 to 14 seconds. Good for a longboard or a funboard.

The last few days, the 12th of August, are small and onshore again. The swell is under 3ft, with light cross-on winds. Not worth the wetsuit.

So, if you’re picking your days: Saturday the 1st of August morning is your best early call – clean, punchy, and for experienced surfers. And for a later, more accessible option, Sunday the 9th of August afternoon looks glassy and solid with that 7ft swell. The big stuff on the 7th and 8th is for the brave and the very skilled.

Rusty, signing off.

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