Aha Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Aha Rivermouth.

Honestly, the first week or so is a total wipeout. From Monday the 27th of July right through to the 2nd of August, we’ve got flat, weak junk. Tiny 0.7ft–1ft windswell with short periods around 8–10 seconds and barely any energy – the combined energy sits between 11 and 58, which is weak juice. On top of that, winds are mostly cross or cross-on, making it choppy and messy. Wednesday the 29th does show a glassy afternoon, but with only 1ft on offer, there’s nothing to ride. So yeah, nearly a week of nearly nothing.

Now, into Monday the 3rd of August, we start to see a pulse. Swell climbs to 3ft–3ft, period jumps to 14 seconds, and the combined energy hits 254–352 – that’s moderate energy. But the wind is cross-on from the north at 12 mph, so it’s choppy and the surf quality is still poor. Not worth paddling out just yet.

Tuesday the 4th of August brings a bigger bump: 5ft–5ft of east swell, period 16 seconds, and energy ramping up to 964–1149 – strong energy now. But conditions are marginal, with cross-onshore winds on Tuesday afternoon making it choppy. Wednesday the 5th has 5ft–6ft and long 15-second periods, but it’s onshore wind from NNE/NE at 6 mph, which is a bit ugly. Still not great.

But then, Thursday the 6th of August – that’s our standout. Thursday morning and afternoon see the same solid 6ft–6ft east-northeast swell with a very long 16-second period and strong–very strong energy (1595–1786). The wind goes glassy – barely a breath, from the north in the morning and east-northeast in the afternoon. That means clean, lined-up waves. At 6ft–6ft, this is solid and only suited to experienced surfers – beginners will find it too big. The swell direction (ENE) isn’t the optimum NE the break prefers, but with that period and glassy conditions, it’ll still offer some excellent waves. This spot is fairly consistent, though it does see crowds sometimes, so expect company. Aha Rivermouth is a beach/jetty setup, so that long-period groundswell can break a bit straight here, but with this much energy and clean conditions, it’ll still be on.

Friday the 7th of August holds size at 6ft but morning cross-shore winds from the ESE and afternoon choppy cross-onshore winds dirty it up. Saturday the 8th fades to 5ft–6ft with cross-shore chop, and by Sunday the 9th it drops back to 2ft and weaker energy. The following week sees more drop-off and messy conditions, with minimal surf.

So, if you’re keen and experienced, Thursday the 6th of August is your window – glassy, solid ENE groundswell with that long period. Just be ready for a crowd.

– Rusty

Read more