Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got Ritoque. The water is sitting at 58°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice little bonus. The problem is, the wind is mostly a cross or cross-onshore breeze all through the forecast, and it’s pretty much constantly chopping things up. We do get some decent swell energy coming in – moderate to strong, with values between 475 and 1487 – but it’s mostly messy. Early on, Tuesday the 1st has a light cross breeze and a 4ft SW swell at 10 seconds, but the wave comment says it’s marginal, so it’s not a full green light. The first real standout doesn't show until the weekend.

Saturday, September 5th is when the energy really starts to build. On the morning we get 6ft from the SW at 9 seconds with a light cross-onshore breeze, and the combined energy is 1344 – strong. The afternoon cleans up a bit: 4ft but with a long 18-second period from the SW. That’s proper groundswell, and with light winds it’ll be the best shape we’ve seen, even if it’s still slight cross. This is the pick of the first week. The long period will make for some proper lines, but it might break a bit close at this beach setup, so be ready.

Sunday, September 6th morning is actually the cleanest wind we see in the whole run: a light offshore from the WSW, 5ft of SW swell with a 15-second period. That’s a very long period groundswell, strong energy at 1293, and offshore wind. That’s a no-brainer standout. The waves will have plenty of push and be glassy. If you can only paddle out one session, this is it. The afternoon stays fun too, with 5ft and a 14-second period, though it goes cross-onshore. Keep an eye on the crowds – this spot gets them sometimes.

The middle of the second week, around September 12th and 13th, sees another pulse. On the 12th morning there’s 4ft with a light cross breeze, but the real energy comes back on the morning of September 13th – 6ft SSW swell, 16-second period, again with a very light cross breeze. The combined energy is 1487, the highest on the chart. That’s a big, powerful, long-period groundswell. But again, that long period is best suited for a point or reef – at Ritoque’s beach break, it could be a bit straight and walled. Still, for the advanced crew, that's a thumping session. After that, the swell drops off fast through the 14th, and by the 15th it's pretty flat and choppy.

Overall, the standout is Sunday the 6th for the offshore wind and strong groundswell, with Saturday the 5th afternoon and Sunday the 13th morning as close runners-up. The rest of the 16 days is a mix of marginal and poor conditions, with a lot of cross-onshore chop.

Rusty.

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