Kaifu Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the sea’s got cooking for us at Kaifu Rivermouth over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, so don’t go paddling out just yet.

We’re staring down the barrel of a few days with nothing really worth mentioning to start. The first sniff of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Monday the 6th, but it’s poor. We’ve got a tiny 2ft SE windswell with a 15-second period and a cross-onshore breeze. The water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 76°, sitting about 2° below average. The energy is weak (181), so honestly, just leave the board in the car. Monday afternoon gets glassy, but with only 3ft on offer, it’s still flat.

Tuesday the 7th sees a bump, but it’s messy. Tuesday morning brings 4ft SE swell with a 12-second period and a cross-on breeze. The energy is starting to build (654), but the forecast is marginal. Tuesday afternoon pushes 4ft SE swell with a 16-second period and offshore wind, but the energy jumps to 1005 – still not enough to get excited about, and the conditions are questionable. The real build kicks off Wednesday the 8th. Wednesday morning we’ve got 7ft of SE groundswell, period at 17 seconds, and offshore wind. This is where things get serious, with energy at 3935. The size is getting up there, over 8ft by Wednesday afternoon, pushing 10ft with the same long-period SE swell and energy hitting 5702. This is expert territory now, and with that 17-second period, it’s going to be a proper, powerful groundswell – best handled at a river mouth like this one.

Thursday the 9th holds onto that swell, with 10ft SSE early and 8ft later, still with offshore wind. The energy peaks at 6256 Thursday morning. Then Friday the 10th? That’s the standout. Friday afternoon is the real jewel: 13ft S swell, 17-second period, offshore wind, and an energy reading of 12517. That’s extreme energy for a river mouth. This is not for the faint of heart – experts only, and it’s going to be a beast. The swell direction is S which isn’t the optimum SE, but the sheer power will still produce.

Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th see the swell slowly dropping, from 13ft down to 12ft and then 8ft, but the wind goes cross-onshore, making it choppy and less attractive. Sunday the 12th afternoon is down to 5ft and the wind stays cross-on. Monday the 13th offers a brief window of glassy conditions with 5ft S swell and an 11-second period, and the energy is down to 673. It says “very good surf conditions” but that 5ft with a mid-range period is clean, not heavy.

The second week gets a bit more complicated. Tuesday the 14th has glassy morning surf with 4ft SSW swell, but the energy is low (583), and it’s inconsistent. Wednesday the 15th morning is the only other real highlight in this back half: 10ft ESE swell, but the period is short at 9 seconds. It’s glassy, and the energy is 2764. That short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly and disorganized, but 10ft is still a lot of water moving. Again, experts only. After that, from Thursday the 16th onward, it’s a mix of short-period (8-10 seconds) ESE swell, mostly cross-onshore or cross winds, with energy levels bouncing between 365 and 1460. Nothing consistent or clean enough to call a standout. Sunday the 19th morning offers clean cross-offshore wind with 7ft ESE swell (8-second period), which is a decent consolation for better surfers. The rest of the last few days (20th-21st) are marginal at best.

The Pick: If you’re an expert, you cannot miss Friday afternoon, 10th of July. That 13ft S groundswell with 17-second period and offshore wind is the biggest, most powerful event of the whole 16 days. The river mouth should handle it, but expect it to be big and heavy. This spot is inconsistent, so when it fires like this, it’s special. For the rest of us, Wednesday the 15th morning’s glassy 10ft but short-period surf is the next best bet. Crowds are possible here sometimes, but on a day that big, only the hardcore will be out.

Rusty.

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