Aha Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s coming down the line for Aha Rivermouth.

Right now, the surf is pretty flat and messy. We’ve got a long, quiet stretch ahead. For the next several days, from Tuesday the 15th right through to Friday the 18th of September, it’s looking pretty grim. The swell is small, between 2ft and 4ft, and the wind is blowing onshore or cross-onshore nearly the whole time. The wave energy is low, hanging around the 100 to 300 mark, and the conditions are just poor. There’s nothing to get excited about here for a paddle surfer.

The first real pulse of energy shows up on Saturday the 19th of September. The morning brings a 6ft easterly swell with a long 15-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy jumps to a solid 1451. But, the wind is a fresh breeze from the NNE, blowing onshore. By the afternoon, the swell pushes to 8ft, with a 16-second period and energy up to 3215 – that’s strong. But it’s cross-onshore and messy. For a beach/jetty setup like this, it’s going to be lumpy and hard to find a clean face. This is probably more interesting for the kite surfers than for us.

Sunday the 20th is big and blown out. We’re looking at 13ft easterly swell with a 16-second period. The energy is massive, over 7600. But the wind is a strong breeze turning into a near gale from the north, all cross-onshore. It’s going to be a wild, messy ocean. Not a day for paddling.

Monday the 21st sees a severe gale from the NNW, with cross-shore winds and big crossing waves. Swell drops to 12ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, but the energy is still huge. The conditions are terrible – severe gale cross-shore with big crossing waves. Stay out of the water.

Tuesday the 22nd offers a bit of a change. The morning has a 8ft NNW swell with a 10-second period, and a gale-force offshore wind. That’s clean but extremely hard to paddle into. The afternoon eases to a near gale cross-offshore, and the swell period stretches to 11 seconds. It’s cleaner, but still a battle.

Wednesday the 23rd of September is the first real glimmer of hope. The morning brings a 7ft northerly swell with a 10-second period, and a fresh breeze from the WNW blowing cross-offshore. The combined energy is 794 – moderate – and the report says it’s clean. It’s only a 1 out of 10 score, so it’s marginal, but for this stretch, it’s the best on offer. The wind is clean and the swell has some shape, but it’s still a tough paddle. If you’re an experienced local, this is the morning to check.

After that, it fades again. Thursday the 24th drops to 4ft northerly swell with a short 7-second period and a moderate cross-onshore wind. The rest of the run through the end of September is a mix of onshore winds, rising swell, and building wind – up to storm force by Wednesday the 30th. The last week is all big, messy, and dangerous, with storm force cross-onshore winds and huge, un-rideable waves. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to note.

So, if you’re hanging for a wave, Wednesday the 23rd morning is the only real standout. It’s not perfect, but it’s clean and there’s some energy. The rest of this 16-day run is mostly a write-off for paddling. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, it’s looking like a kite show more than a surf show.

Rusty.

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