Ritoque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for Ritoque over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this run is a bit of a grind. From Monday the 17th right through to Thursday the 20th, the surf is there, but it’s mostly messy. The winds are cross-onshore or worse, keeping things choppy and a bit of a battle. You’ll find some chest-high waves (4ft to 6ft) but the quality is just not there for a proper session. The energy is moderate to strong (504 to 1417) but it's being wasted by the wind. Honestly, those first few days are more about getting a wet suit on for the sake of it than scoring anything special. Thursday afternoon the 20th is a write-off with strong winds and poor conditions.

Now, things start to turn around. Friday the 21st sees some shoulder-high swell (6ft to 6ft) but the period drops right off to 7-8 seconds, making it short-period, bumpy stuff. The wind stays messy. Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23rd drop in size, but hold on.

The real gem in this forecast is the window from Sunday afternoon the 23rd through to Tuesday the 25th. Sunday afternoon the 23rd is the first real glimmer – we get glassy conditions with a 3ft swell from the SW. Then Monday the 24th is a standout. The wind goes glassy, the waves clean up to 4ft, and the energy is solid (538). This is your window for some clean, fun waves. Tuesday the 25th stays glassy and clean, though the swell fades a bit to 2ft in the morning and 1ft in the afternoon. For a longboard or a funboard, those mornings and afternoons will be pure joy.

After that, we hit another patch of average conditions from Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the month. The swell picks up again, hitting 7ft by Friday the 28th and 8ft on Friday afternoon, with a very long 16-17 second period from the WSW. That’s a lot of energy (3101 on Friday arvo). This is proper, powerful groundswell. But here’s the rub – the wind is cross-onshore for most of it, and those big, long-period waves on an exposed beach break like Ritoque can get a bit tricky, closing out or running straight. It’s not beginner territory. The best bet in that second week is actually Thursday the 27th afternoon, where you get 6ft of clean, glassy conditions – that’s a hidden gem before the bigger, messier stuff hits.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are strong (8ft to 6ft) but the wind picks up strong again, especially Sunday afternoon with a fresh 19 mph cross-shore making it lumpy and ugly. Monday the 1st of September sees a drop in quality again.

So, the pick of the litter is absolutely Monday the 24th of August. Glassy, clean, waist-to-chest high waves with moderate energy. It’s not a big day, but it’ll be the most fun you’ll have. For the brave and experienced, Friday the 28th offers some massive, powerful waves, but you’ll be dealing with a cross-onshore breeze.

Water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about normal for this time of year.

Stay stoked, but pick your moments.

- Rusty

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