Carlton Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' at Carlton Rivermouth over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a weird start. The first real session worth paddling out for isn't until Sunday morning, August 2nd. The water is sitting at 52°, which is a touch cooler than normal for this time of year – about 2° below average, so you'll want a decent spring suit.

Sunday morning the 2nd is the first standout. We’ve got a solid 5ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a long 17-second period. That's proper groundswell energy, and combined energy is a hefty 1323. The wind is a light 6 mph cross-off from the NNW, so those waves are gonna be clean as a whistle. This is a beach/sandbar setup though, so that long period stuff can sometimes make it break a bit straight and fat. Still, it’s gonna be fun. The afternoon stays clean with a 4ft SSW swell and offshore wind.

Monday morning the 3rd drops off to 2ft, still clean, but it's a short window. By Monday afternoon the cross-shore wind kicks up and the quality drops. Tuesday the 4th starts glassy but tiny at 2ft, and by the afternoon a choppy 4ft SSE windswell takes over – not worth it.

We hit a real dry spell from Monday afternoon through most of the following week. There's a tiny flicker of hope Friday morning the 7th – glassy conditions and 3ft SSW swell with a massive 19-second period (combined energy of 574). It’ll be clean, but inconsistent. That's about it until the weekend.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real standout is Tuesday the 11th of August. Tuesday morning sees a chunky 8ft SSW swell roll in (combined energy of 3642), but it’s a bit lumpy with a cross-on breeze. The afternoon, however, is pure magic for experienced surfers: glassy conditions with a 7ft SSW swell and a 17-second period. That’s 2187 units of energy and absolutely no wind. This is the pick of the whole 16-day window for anyone with some skill. It’s too big for beginners, mind you.

Wednesday the 12th morning keeps the quality high with a 5ft SSW swell and clean cross-off winds. Thursday the 13th holds clean as well with offshore breezes and 4ft SSW swell.

Then Friday the 14th of August morning offers another gem: a solid 8ft SSW swell, 17-second period, combined energy of 3164, and a light offshore breeze. Another one for the experienced crew only.

Sadly, it all turns to custard after that. From Saturday the 15th onward, a strong westerly wind change smashes the place. Swells are still big – 7ft to 8ft – but the wind is a nasty 22 to 25 mph cross-on, making it a complete write-off for surfing. With setup being a beach/sandbar, this stretch honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. That messy run lasts right through to the end of the forecast on Monday the 17th.

So, bottom line: if you can, get out Sunday the 2nd for a clean start, but the absolute best sessions are Tuesday the 11th afternoon and Friday the 14th morning – both glassy or offshore and offering well overhead, powerful SSW groundswell. Don't sleep on them.

Rusty.

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