Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but it’s not all clean sailing. There’s a bit of a quiet start, so be patient.

The first surf worth mentioning arrives on Monday, August 3rd. The swell is already running at 7 ft from the WSW with a 12-second period, which is a nice, powerful groundswell. The water temperature is sitting at 58°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. The catch is the wind is a light cross-onshore, and the whole session is labelled as a bit marginal. It’s rideable, but not the best we’ll see.

Things start to look up on Wednesday, August 5th. The morning is the real standout here. The swell is holding at 7 ft from the WSW, but the wind goes glassy. Absolutely flat calm. The combined energy is a solid 1528, which is a strong, pushy swell. This is an excellent window for experienced surfers. The wave quality will be clean, groomed, and powerful. For the morning, this is your best bet.

Thursday, August 6th, is a different story. The swell jumps up during the morning to 8 ft from the SW, but the wind picks up to a moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop. By the afternoon, it's a full-on 10 ft from the SW with a fresh 19 mph cross-shore wind. That’s too big for most and messy. The forecast says it’s too big for this break, so only experts should even consider it, and even then, the conditions will be lumpy.

We get another window of clean, glassy conditions on Wednesday, August 12th. Wait, no, that’s Thursday, August 13th. The swell drops to 4 ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. The wind is glassy again. The combined energy is only 665, so it’s not a powerhouse, but the conditions will be clean and the long period will make for some proper lines. It’s a good morning for a quiet, clean session.

Then on Saturday, August 15th, we have another promising morning. The swell is 5 ft from the W with a 13-second period, and the wind is glassy. The energy is 1210, which is moderate to strong. The forecast says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is a second standout, offering a clean, powerful swell with perfect conditions.

After that, the swell holds for a while but the wind becomes a constant cross-onshore, making the afternoons choppy and unappealing. The last half of the run is mostly marginal, with a few mornings worth a look if you’re desperate, but the quality drops off.

Bottom line: The best windows are definitely Wednesday, August 5th morning and Saturday, August 15th morning. Both offer glassy conditions and a solid, powerful swell. The rest of the period is a mix of onshore chop or just too big for comfort.

Rusty.

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