Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for the next couple of weeks.

The first real action kicks off on Friday, July 24, but it’s pretty marginal. The standout session is actually Saturday, July 26, with a clean, glassy morning. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is about normal for this time of year, so not a shock to the system.

Alright, let’s break it down.

Friday, July 24: The morning is a bit of a write-off. A 6ft swell from the west with an 11-second period, but it’s a cross-shore wind and the energy is moderate (953). The afternoon cleans up nicely though. The wind goes glassy, and the swell drops slightly to 6ft from the west. It’s still a decent wave, but the overall score is just okay. The water is a normal 55°.

Saturday, July 25: This is where it gets a little disappointing. The morning has a 4ft west swell, 10-second period, but the cross-shore wind kills the vibe. The afternoon drops to 2ft with a long 15-second period from the WSW, but it’s cross-onshore. Not great.

Sunday, July 26: This is the pick of the first week. Sunday morning at Ritoque is glassy. The swell is 3ft from the WSW with a 13-second period, so it’s a clean, long-period groundswell. The energy is moderate (562). This is the kind of session where you’ll get long, rolling waves and easy paddling between sets. The wind is glassy, so it’ll be smooth. This is the one to point your car at.

Monday, July 27: The morning is messy with light rain and a cross-shore wind on a 6ft WSW swell. The afternoon is a no-go unless you’re a chartered expert. The swell jumps to 10ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the energy is huge (3045). That is a serious amount of water. For the average surfer, this is too big. Only for the experienced crew, and even then, it’s a heavy paddle.

Tuesday, July 28: The morning is glassy with a 8ft swell from the WSW, 12-second period. This is for experienced surfers only. The energy is strong (1754). The afternoon drops to 5ft from the west, glassy, and much more manageable. A solid session for the intermediate crowd.

Wednesday, July 29 to Thursday, July 30: A bit of a lull. The swell drops and the wind gets messy. Not worth getting wet for.

Friday, July 31: The morning looks promising. A 6ft swell from the west, 10-second period, with a cross-offshore wind. It’s clean. The energy is moderate (941). The afternoon is a bit bigger at 6ft, but the wind goes cross-shore.

Saturday, August 1: The morning is a 8ft swell from the west, but it’s cross-onshore. That’s expert territory and messy. The afternoon drops to 7ft, clean cross-offshore wind, but still sizable.

Sunday, August 2 to Monday, August 3: Small swell, 3ft to 5ft, but the wind is either glassy or cross-onshore. Not much to get excited about.

Tuesday, August 4: A nice little window. The morning is glassy with a 5ft WSW swell, 11-second period. The afternoon is dead calm with a 6ft WSW swell. This is a good, clean session for the experienced surfer.

Wednesday, August 5: The morning is glassy, dead calm, with a 5ft WSW swell. Long period, clean energy. The afternoon turns to a 7ft cross-onshore mess with a short 6-second period. That’s just a chop fest.

Thursday, August 6: This is the second standout. The morning is glassy with a 7ft swell from the SW, 11-second period. The energy is very strong (2039). This is a powerful, clean session for the experienced surfer. If you’ve got the skills, this is the one.

Friday, August 7 to Saturday, August 8: The wind picks up. The swell is still there, but the wind is moderate to strong. The morning of Saturday, August 8, is clean with a 5ft SW swell, but the energy is dropping. The afternoon is a choppy, cross-onshore mess.

So, to sum it up: Sunday, July 26 morning is the best for a clean, fun, long-period swell. Thursday, August 6 morning is the heavy hitter for the experienced crew. The rest is a mixed bag of average to poor conditions. There’s a gap of a few days in the middle there where it’s just not worth it.

Keep your eyes on the charts, but for now, that’s the story.

Rusty.

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