Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Ritoque are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of swell, but the wind is the problem. For the most part, it’s cross-on or choppy, so don’t expect a whole lot of perfection. The water is sitting at 59° right now, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the rubber might feel a little more comfortable.

The first decent chance to get wet isn’t until Sunday, September 6th. The morning sees a 5ft SW groundswell with a nice long 15-second period, and the wind is offshore – light, but clean. The combined energy is strong (1345), so there’s plenty of push. It’s marginal, but this is the pick of the early days. The afternoon drops a bit to 5ft and the wind swings cross-on, so grab the dawn patrol.

Monday the 7th is a repeat: 5ft SW swell, 14-second period, but the wind is cross-on again. It’s rideable, but not special.

Then we hit a flat spot from Tuesday the 8th through to Thursday the 10th – the swell drops under 4ft and the wind stays messy. The combined energy falls to between 267 and 697, weak to moderate, and the reports are all poor or marginal. Not worth paddling out.

Things get interesting again on Friday, September 11th. The swell jumps to 6ft in the morning, and 8ft in the afternoon, with a moderate 11-12 second period. The combined energy hits 1018 and 1502, so there’s a lot of water moving. But – and it’s a big but – the wind is cross-on at 12-16 mph, making it choppy. At 8ft, this is expert territory only. If you’re a big-wave charger and don’t mind the chop, the afternoon might have some raw power. For everyone else, it’s a miss.

Saturday the 12th is probably your best shout for the whole period. Morning sees 8ft SW swell, 11-second period, and light offshore wind (W at 6 mph). The combined energy is 1329, and the wind state is unknown but the direction is on. This is a proper, clean, powerful swell for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops to 7ft with light cross-on wind – still good, but not as clean.

From Sunday the 13th onward, the swell hangs around 6ft to 7ft, but the wind is always cross-on or onshore, and the period drops under 10 seconds. The energy is moderate, but the quality is poor. It’s the kind of week where you’re better off waiting for the next system.

If I’m being honest, the standout here is the morning of Saturday, September 12th. That 8ft SW groundswell with clean, offshore wind is the only session that looks truly special. For the more consistent, but smaller option, Sunday morning September 6th is your best early bet. Everything else is just making the most of what we’ve got. Keep an eye on the charts, boys. Rusty out.

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