Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been digging into the charts for Ritoque over the next couple of weeks. Right now, we’re in a bit of a quiet spell, but there’s some serious swell building for the end of the run. The first few days are pretty marginal, so don’t get too excited early on.

The water is sitting at 57.7°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner suit.

Tuesday 15th afternoon is a no-go – cross-on wind with a 6 mph breeze from the WSW, and a messy 3.9 ft WSW swell. The energy is only moderate at 527, and conditions are just too choppy to bother.

Wednesday 16th morning stays small with a 3.0 ft SW swell (12-second period) and a light 3 mph cross-on from the SSW. It’s still marginal – the combined energy drops to 261, and the wind is just enough to ruffle the surface.

Thursday 17th morning is the first real glimmer. Glassy conditions – zero wind – and a 4.3 ft SW swell, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so the waves will be a bit weak and crumbly. Still, with clean faces, it’s a sneaky window for a small-wave board. Energy is moderate at 283.

Friday 18th stays small through the morning and afternoon, with 3.0 ft to 3.3 ft WSW swell, but the wind is light cross or onshore. Not worth paddling out for.

Saturday 19th sees another glassy morning – 3 mph from the SSW, then a glassy afternoon with 3 mph from the NE. Swell holds at 3.0 ft WSW (10 seconds). Energy jumps to 303 in the afternoon, but it’s still on the small side. A fun little session if you’re keen on a log.

Sunday 20th morning is glassy again with a 3 mph NNE breeze and 3.9 ft WSW swell (11 seconds). Energy is moderate at 337 – this is one of the better small-wave windows of the early period. Clean, glassy, easy paddling.

Monday 21st morning sees the swell push up to 5.2 ft WSW (9 seconds), but it’s cross-shore and a bit jumbled – energy is up at 455, but quality is marginal. The afternoon gets messy with 12 mph cross-on wind and 5.6 ft swell – not worth it.

Tuesday 22nd morning is glassy again – 3.0 ft WSW swell, light wind, moderate energy at 297. Another small, clean session.

Then we hit a few days of weak swell and very small waves on Wednesday 23rd – 2.0 ft to 1.3 ft with energy down to just 87. This is a proper gap.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Thursday 24th brings a jump in size – 6.9 ft to 7.2 ft WSW swell (12-second period), and the energy rockets up to 1237 and 1342. The wind is light cross or cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but this is a big groundswell push. This is getting into expert territory – over 8 ft is only for experienced surfers, and the period is long enough (12 seconds) to give proper shape, especially if the tide lines up.

Friday 25th morning is the standout of the entire run. Glassy conditions with a 3 mph SSE breeze, a solid 6.9 ft W swell (11 seconds), and energy cranking at 1515. The wind is glassy – clean, clean, clean. This is *excellent* for experienced surfers. The waves will have punch and shape, and with 11-second period, you’ll get proper lines. This is the session to circle on the calendar.

Saturday 26th morning is another banger – zero wind, glassy, 5.6 ft SSW swell with a long 13-second period, and energy absolutely pumping at 1846. This is a very long-period groundswell – it’ll be clean and powerful, but at a beach break, it might break a bit straight, so look for a peak that lines up. Still, hard to beat glassy conditions with that much energy.

Sunday 27th stays big – 6.9 ft to 7.2 ft SW swell (11–12 seconds) with light onshore

Read more