Barron Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag for this region, but there are a few windows that’ll get the blood pumping if you time it right.

The first decent surf shows up on Wednesday the 22nd of July, but it’s a tease. The swell is around 4 ft from the SW with a period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 556 (moderate). The morning looks cleanest with a light WSW breeze blowing straight onshore, but it’s only a light breeze so the surface should be tidy. Water temp is 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Barron Rivermouth is a point/river setup that’s fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the SW swell. It’s an intermediate wave, but don’t expect perfection—it’s flagged as marginal due to tide conditions. The afternoon gets choppy as the wind swings WNW and picks up to 12 mph, so that’s a write-off.

Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are pretty ordinary. Swell drops to 3 ft then 2 ft, and the wind is cross-onshore, making things choppy and messy. The Thursday afternoon has a weird 1 ft swell with a 26-second period, which is a super long period groundswell, but the combined energy is still 428 (moderate). That kind of period at a river mouth might actually line up nicely, but the swell is too small to bother with. The rest of the week is weak.

Now, the real standout shows up around Saturday the 26th of July into the following week. Saturday afternoon sees the swell bump to 4 ft from the SW, period 19 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 1131 (strong). The wind is light and offshore from the W, so the wave face will be clean. Sunday the 27th morning holds similar 4 ft SW swell, 18-second period, 962 energy (moderate-strong), with a light offshore from the SW. That’s a good window for a river mouth—the long period will wrap in nicely, and the offshore breeze will keep it glassy. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have some company, but it’s worth it.

Monday the 28th of July is the pick of the whole outlook. Morning swell is 5 ft from the SW, 18-second period, and combined energy is 1296 (strong). Wind is light from the SSW, cross-onshore but very light, so only small ripples. The afternoon holds 5 ft at 17 seconds and 1316 energy, still cross-onshore but with a gentle breeze. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best consistent swell of the run.

Tuesday the 29th of July sees the swell push over 7 ft, hitting 7 ft in the morning and 7 ft in the afternoon, with strong energy (2274 and 3411). That’s getting into expert territory—at 7 ft+, it’s too big for beginners. The period drops to 16–17 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore, so expect some chop. The confidence is solid for this near-term window.

After Wednesday the 30th of July, the swell slowly fades. The morning of the 30th has 7 ft at 14 seconds, light cross-onshore, but it’s still marginal. By Friday the 1st of August, the swell drops to 6 ft and the wind becomes a moderate cross-onshore. From Saturday the 2nd of August onward, it’s pretty poor—swell under 3 ft, and the wind keeps it choppy. There’s a gap of about 5 days with no good surf.

So, the best on offer is definitely Monday the 28th of July morning and the weekend before (Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th). The swell is solid, the period is long, and the wind is light to offshore. For a river mouth, that’s a beautiful combo. The Tuesday the 29th has bigger swell but more wind, so it’s a trade-off.

If you’re a beginner, stick to the sub-5 ft days on the 26th or 27th. Experts, go for Tuesday the 29th. After that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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