Barron Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at the charts for Barron Rivermouth. It’s a point/river setup, exposed to the south-west swell, and it’s been hanging in there. The water’s sitting at 89°F – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’re in for a real tropical bath.

The first decent opportunity kicks off on Sunday morning, the 19th of July. The swell is 3ft, but it’s got a nice long period of 17 seconds, coming straight from the south-west. That’s groundswell, and it’s got proper energy behind it (combined energy of 750). The wind is glassy, light from the east-north-east, so it’ll be clean as a whistle. This is the standout window – the best on offer. The break is fairly consistent, but be aware it can get crowded sometimes. The long period means the waves will have shape and power, just keep an eye on the tide.

Monday the 20th sees the swell bump up to 4ft in the morning, period 16 seconds, but the wind is onshore from the west. It’s a light breeze, so the surf quality is marginal due to that wind direction. The afternoon gets choppy with a moderate cross-onshore – not great.

Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off with poor surf conditions and a risk of thunderstorms. The following Thursday the 23rd has a 4ft swell with a period of 11 seconds, but again, onshore winds. The quality is marginal.

Now, look ahead to the week starting Monday the 27th of July. The swell picks up to 4ft from the south-west, period 19 seconds, with a light cross-shore breeze from the south-east. The combined energy is strong at 1357. This is a promising run, but the wind is just cross-shore, not glassy. It’s a solid, consistent run of surf that lasts through to the end of the month. The standout in this longer stretch is Wednesday the 29th of July: 5ft swell, 16-second period, and a light cross-on breeze. The energy is pumping at 1236. It’s getting into the size that’s more for experienced surfers, but the period is still long, so the sets will be powerful and lined up.

By the 30th of July, the swell hits 6ft, but the period drops to 14 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore. It’s still big, but the quality is only marginal. This is no beginner’s game.

The first week of August sees the swell fade quickly. The 1st of August is poor, and the 2nd of August is also poor, with a tiny 1ft to 2ft swell and storm risks. The window is closing.

Overall, your best bet is Sunday morning the 19th of July. The next real run of waves is from the 27th of July to the 30th, but none of it is perfect. Keep your expectations in check for the second week – it’s there, but it’s not the cleanest.

Rusty

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