Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it for Ritoque.

We’ve got a mixed bag over the next 16 days. The main story is a pulse of solid, long-period SW groundswell moving in, but the wind is going to be a bit of a tease for most of it. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than we’d normally expect for this time of year, so don't forget the extra rubber.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Friday morning, July 10th. There’s a clean 5ft SW swell with a 13-second period rolling in, but the wind is light cross from the south. It’s surfable, but that light cross-shore breeze will keep it from being perfect. The combined energy is moderate (1283). The afternoon goes downhill with the wind picking up and turning cross-onshore, making it choppy.

Saturday (July 11th) and Sunday (July 12th) are pretty similar – small, clean-ish waves around 4ft to 5ft, but that persistent cross-onshore wind from the SSW/SW won't give us the clean faces we want. The energy drops off a bit, especially Sunday.

Now, Monday July 13th is where it gets interesting. We’ve got a new pulse of long-period groundswell from the WSW building in. The morning is a solid 5ft with a 19-second period – that’s proper long-period energy, and it shows in the strong wave energy (2126). The wind is still light cross-onshore, but the swell is powerful.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Tuesday morning, July 14th. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the WSW, with a 13-second period and strong energy (2739). The wind is dead glassy – a slight air from the SSW. That’s as clean as it gets. Now, a word of caution: 10ft is big, and this is an exposed beach. This is strictly for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay on the sand. The strong energy and glassy conditions are a recipe for some serious, open-face waves, but it will be a big, powerful day.

The rest of the week is a comedown. Wednesday (July 15th) afternoon sees a drop to 5ft and glassy conditions again, which is a solid session. The energy is moderate (611). Thursday (July 16th) is smaller and the wind turns messy. Friday July 17th is a write-off – a massive, wind-affected mess from a strong NW wind. Strong breeze and near-gale conditions will shred the surf.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday July 18th has big 10ft SW swell, but onshore winds will keep it bumpy. Sunday July 19th afternoon is a nice surprise – glassy winds and a clean 5ft SW swell (1037 energy). That’s a nice, clean session. Monday July 20th and Tuesday July 21st offer some glassy to light offshore mornings with decent 4ft to 6ft SW swell. Wednesday July 22nd and Thursday July 23rd are smaller, with light winds, but the swell fades. The last few days are small and clean, but really just ankle-snappers.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is Tuesday morning, July 14th for the big, glassy, powerful swell if you’ve got the skills. The secondary pick is the glassy afternoon on Wednesday, July 15th, and the clean Sunday afternoon on July 19th. There are a few days with no real recommendations – the gaps are mostly the afternoons on the poor-wind days and the really small days at the end.

Rusty, signing off.

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