Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The first half of this outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows that should get you out of the water with a smile. The main swell direction is coming from the WSW, which is a good angle for this stretch of coast. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about in that department.

We start on Thursday, the 20th of August, with a moderate 5.2ft swell from the WSW, but the wind is a cross-shore breeze out of the SSW at 9 mph, which is putting a bit of a chop on the surface. The wave energy is moderate (891), but the conditions are marginal, and the score reflects that it’s not really worth the paddle out. The afternoon gets worse with a stronger onshore wind.

Friday the 21st is not much better. We’ve got a 5.6ft swell in the morning, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds, making for weak, crumbly waves. The wind is cross-shore again, so it’s a bit messy. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 6.6ft, but the period is even shorter at 7 seconds. This is a real windswell, and it’s not going to give you much to work with.

The first real standout is Saturday the 22nd of August, first light. The wind goes glassy out of the WSW at only 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 4.9ft from the SW with an 8-second period. The wave energy is moderate (391) but the glassy conditions are a major positive. The morning will be clean, with the wind staying light. This is the best bet for the early weekend. The afternoon, however, the wind swings to the north and goes cross-shore, killing the quality.

Sunday the 23rd of August morning is also glassy, with a 3.3ft SW swell. It’s small but clean and perfect for a longboard or a fun shape. The wave energy is on the weaker side (220), but the conditions are fantastic. The afternoon turns poor again.

We hit a bit of a lull from Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th. The swell drops away to under 3.3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore, creating small, bumpy waves. Not worth the effort.

The next window opens up on Wednesday the 26th of August. The morning is completely flat calm, with zero wind and a clean 4.6ft swell from the WSW. The period is a solid 12 seconds, which means proper groundswell energy. The wave energy is moderate (589) and the conditions are classed as very good. This is a top pick for the mid-week.

The afternoon of the 26th gets a bit bigger, 6.2ft, and the wind turns onshore, but the energy jumps to a strong 1013. The onshore wind will chop it up, so stick to the morning session.

Thursday the 27th of August sees the swell building, with a 5.6ft to 4.9ft swell from the WSW, but the wind is cross-onshore and the period is long (18 seconds in the afternoon). The energy is ramping up to a very strong 2314. It’s a powerful, long-period groundswell, but the onshore wind is a problem. This is a spot where the long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, but the power is there for the taking if you can find a bank.

Now, here’s where it gets serious. Friday the 28th of August, the swell jumps to a solid 9.8ft from the WSW. The wind is light and onshore in the morning, but the raw energy is massive (3995). The file says it’s too big for this break. This is expert territory only. The period is 16 seconds, a very long groundswell. The same goes for the afternoon and into Saturday the 29th. The swell stays at 9.8ft, with the period dropping to 13 seconds. The wind on Saturday afternoon goes cross-shore at 16 mph, which will create a lot of chop. The wave energy is huge (2686). This is a serious swell event, and unless you’re a very experienced surfer, you’re best off watching from the beach. The wave energy is in the thousands, indicating very strong conditions.

Sunday the 30th of August, the swell drops to 6.9ft in the morning, still a solid size, but the wind picks up to a moderate 12 mph cross-shore, making it lumpy. The afternoon sees a fresh 22 mph cross-shore wind, which is going to be a mess. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

The first week of September looks poor. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st have small, weak swell (3.6ft to 5.2ft) with onshore winds. Wednesday the 2nd

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