Goukamma River Mouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's coming up at Goukamma River Mouth.

The next couple of weeks have a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid swell on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story, and it’s not always going to be a friendly one. The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to get wet is on Monday the 24th. It's not a world-beater, with a 5ft SW swell running at a 12-second period. The combined energy is moderate (723), but the wind is a light cross-on, so it'll be a bit bumpy. It's a start.

Things start to look a bit more promising by Tuesday the 25th. The swell is on the rise, hitting 8ft from the SW with a much longer 14-second period, giving it proper groundswell grunt and a combined energy of 2533 (strong). This is proper river mouth swell, but it’s a bit on the bigger side for the average punter. The morning onshore wind will mess it up, but the afternoon is a little better.

Now, Thursday the 27th is the standout this week. The morning is glassy, absolutely glassy, with a WSW wind and a clean 6ft SSW swell. The period is a solid 12 seconds, and the combined energy is still a strong 1469. This is the session to circle. The wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and I’d agree. The afternoon stays glassy with a smaller 5ft S swell. That’s your best bet for a clean, long wall.

The end of the first week and into the second gets messy. The wind swings around and picks up, with a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore chop. Saturday the 29th has a brief moment of offshore NNW wind in the morning, but the swell is tiny at 3ft. It’s clean, but small.

The real magic, if you can wait for it, looks like Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning is clean, with a light cross-offshore NW wind and a solid 7ft SW swell at 12 seconds. The combined energy is a strong 1296. The wave comment calls it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and that’s a fair call. It’s a proper session for those who can handle it.

After that, the window closes. The swell gets too big for comfort, hitting 10ft on the 4th and 6th of September, and the wind goes straight to hell. The 6th of September is a big, dangerous day with a 10ft SW swell and a 13-second period, packing a massive 6464 in combined energy. That’s a lifetime of energy for a river mouth, and it’s frankly too big for anyone but the absolute nuts on a jet ski. The wind is onshore too, so it’s a no-go.

So, to sum it up: Thursday morning the 27th of August and Wednesday morning the 2nd of September are your two real standouts. The first is glassy and clean, the second is a bigger, cleaner groundswell. Both are for experienced surfers. The rest is either blown out, too small, or too big. Get on it while you can.

Rusty.

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