Aha Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook is a rough one for Aha Rivermouth. We’ve got a 16-day window that starts with a bang, but not the kind you want.

The overall pattern is a big, messy, and dangerous storm swell hitting right off the bat, followed by a rapid drop-off into tiny, weak, and mostly blown-out or cross-off conditions. This isn’t a paddle-surfing forecast; it’s a "watch from the shore" kind of deal.

The first recommendation is for Thursday, 6th August. But honestly, it’s a write-off. A massive 16 ft swell from the ENE with a very long period of 16 seconds is slamming the coast. The wave energy is extreme (11898). The problem is the wind is a strong 28 mph cross-onshore from the north, making it a complete mess. Combined with the water temp sitting at 87° which is a touch warmer than normal, it’s just a washing machine. Conditions are officially rated as poor, and the surf setup at this beach/jetty would be more interesting for kite surfing than surfing.

Moving into Friday, 7th August, the morning looks even more gnarly. We’ve got a 20 ft swell from the ENE, but winds are a severe gale at 53 mph from the NW, creating a massive cross-shore. The wave energy is off the charts at 27519. The guidance notes the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is simply too big for this break. This is for experts only, and even then, it’s a survival mission. The afternoon cleans up with a severe gale from the WSW, but the swell drops to 15 ft – still a major, dangerous event.

From Saturday, 8th August right through to the end of the forecast on Friday, 21st August, the surf drops off a cliff. The swell height plummets from 4 ft down to 1 ft and only occasionally bumps back up to 6 ft, but with short periods and very weak energy (88 to 500). The winds are a mix of strong to storm-force cross-off breezes for the first few days, which keeps the sea surface clean, but there’s just no power in the water. From the 12th onwards, the wind eases, but the swell remains tiny and weak. The breaks are inconsistent and rarely offer anything rideable. There is a blank run of poor surf from the 8th through the 21st, with no real standouts. The few days with a little more size, around the 19th and 20th, have 6 ft swell but with a short 9-second period and a moderate cross-onshore chop, making it lumpy and unappealing. The best you could hope for is a tiny, clean wave on the 12th or 13th when the wind is light.

So, the verdict is: the first two days are for big-wave chargers only, and then it’s a long, flat run. Not our best stretch.

Rusty.

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