Aha Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a cup of coffee, 'cause I’ve been staring at this stretch of water for Aha Rivermouth, and it's a bit of a heartbreaker. The first real sniff of anything surfable doesn't hit until the 5th of September, so we’re looking at more than a week of flat or blown-out junk. It’s a long wait for a very small window, and to be honest, the spot is a fair-weather friend.

The first few days are a write-off. From August 27th right through to the 4th of September, it’s either weak, onshore gunk, stormy, or just plain flat. The wind is howling for most of it, with a nasty near gale and severe gale making things unrideable. There is a moment on the 3rd of September where the swell absolutely detonates – we’re talking 26ft to 34ft of pure ESE groundswell with a 13-second period. The energy readings are insane (19,545 and 38,626), but that’s a "wind and tide favorable" situation that is way too big for this break. That’s a shipping lane, not a surf spot. It’s a serious pass for anyone paddling. For a moment, I wondered if it was a kitesurfing day, but even that would be a death wish in those kinds of closeout sets.

The only real window of opportunity finally shows up on Saturday, the 5th of September. The morning brings a little 3ft easterly swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is a gentle offshore from the WSW. The energy is low (155), but it’s clean. The afternoon is more of the same: 3ft, 8-second period, cross-offshore wind, and clean. The score is low, but you’ll get a few waves if you're desperate. That’s your best bet for the whole 16 days, and it’s a real "beggars can't be choosers" kind of session.

After that, it’s a slow slide back into mediocrity. The 6th gets a bit of onshore wind and a 5ft swell that’s already messy. The 7th is a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds. The 8th is cross-shore chop. The 9th and 10th bring some bigger swell (7ft to 8ft) with a long 11-second period from the east, but the wind is light cross-onshore, making it choppy and marginal. The 11th of September has a morning session with a 8ft easterly groundswell and a 13-second period, which is the best-looking swell of the whole run, but the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE, and the energy is huge (2,657). The forecast says "marginal" and the score is a 3 out of 10 – it’s tantalizing but likely still a bit messy for Aha Rivermouth’s setup.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there. The crowds are "sometimes" a problem, but with this kind of forecast, I doubt anyone will be fighting for waves. Honestly, if you can wait, I’d hold out for a better run. This one feels like a lot of waiting for a very average wave.

Rusty.

Read more