Barron Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—the next week or so is pretty flat and frustrating for us at Barron Rivermouth. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal, poor conditions, with nothing really worth paddling out for until we get closer to the end of the month. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the energy just isn’t there. It’s a tough run, but hang in there because there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

We start off with Saturday the 22nd of August—clear skies, light offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, but the swell is a weak 2ft from the SSW with a 13-second period. The combined energy is only 244, which is weak, and the conditions are honestly poor. Water temp is sitting at 89°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Sunday the 23rd isn’t much better—a bit more swell at 2ft from the SW, but the wind swings south and goes cross-on, making it messy. Monday the 24th through to Thursday the 27th is more of the same: tiny swell, onshore or cross-on wind, and poor surf quality. There’s a moment on Monday morning with a light onshore from the west at 3 mph and 3ft swell, but it’s still only marginal. The energy stays weak to moderate at best, never really cracking 500 until later.

Friday the 28th shows a slight pulse—swell bumps to 4ft from the SW with a 17-second period in the afternoon, and energy jumps to 717. Still, the wind is cross-on from the west at 9 mph, so it’s not clean. Marginal at best.

Now, Saturday the 29th of August is where I get a little excited. The morning session is the standout of this whole outlook. We’ve got 4ft of SW swell running at a solid 16-second period, combined energy hitting 750—moderate but building—and the wind is glassy from the SSE at just 3 mph. That’s offshore, clean, and the rivermouth could be offering up some nice lines. The swell direction is from the SW, which matches the optimum for this break, so I’d expect some good shape. This is the day to be out there if you can. Afternoon gets messy again with onshore wind, but that morning window is pure gold.

Sunday the 30th through Monday the 31st sees the swell drop back to 3-3ft, and the wind goes cross-on or cross-shore, keeping things average. But then Monday afternoon on the 31st, we get a bit of a spike—5ft from the SW, 13-second period, energy up to 782. Wind is light onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, which isn’t perfect but it’s manageable. The surf is still only marginal, but it’s a step up.

The first week of September is where things start to get more interesting. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are nothing special—small swell, light cross or cross-on wind. But Thursday the 3rd of September brings a real groundswell: 2ft from the SW but with a very long 20-second period, and energy at 818. The wind is light cross-on from the WNW, so it’s not glassy, but that period is special. Then Friday the 4th of September is the real standout of the second week. Morning sees 5ft from the SW at 17 seconds, combined energy of 1468—strong wave energy. Wind is light cross-on from the SW at 6 mph, so it’s a little bumpy but manageable. By the afternoon, the swell builds to 6ft from the SW, same 17-second period, and energy rockets to 1743. That’s a serious amount of power. The wind goes onshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it won’t be perfect, but for experienced surfers, that’s a solid day. Saturday the 5th holds at 4ft in the morning with light onshore wind, still good energy at 1304. After that, it tails off into smaller, more marginal surf by Sunday the 6th.

Overall, the best on offer is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August—glassy, 4ft SW groundswell, perfect conditions for the rivermouth. The second standout is Friday the 4th of September, with bigger 6ft swell and strong energy, though the wind is a bit messy in the afternoon. Keep an eye on that one.

Rusty.

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