Kugenuma Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, in feet and Fahrenheit. This 16-day outlook for Kugenuma Rivermouth is a tough one. From July 15th, we’ve got nearly a week and a half of flat, messy junk before anything even stirs. The first real flicker isn’t until Friday, July 24th, and even then it’s pretty ordinary.

From Wednesday, July 15th, through Thursday, July 23rd, the surf is tiny—mostly 0.3ft to 2ft—with cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. The combined energy is weak, hardly ever cracking 30 or 40 (34 to 26). There’s a glassy moment on Thursday, July 16th morning, but with 2ft of 5-second slop, it’s not worth it. The one clean spot in that whole block is Wednesday, July 23rd morning, with a cross-offshore NE breeze, but the swell is still just 0.3ft (energy 26), so it’s a flat, clean lake.

The first remotely interesting window is Friday, July 24th morning. Swell lifts to 1ft from the SE with a period of 18 seconds—a long-period groundswell—and the wind is light and cross-offshore from the E, keeping it clean. Energy climbs to 71, still low but a pulse. The water temp is 77° with a -0.9° anomaly, so about average for the season.

Saturday, July 25th, is a step back—onshore winds and 2ft of weak SSW windswell (energy 56). Not your go.

Sunday, July 26th, morning is glassy with a light SE breeze, 0.7ft of 15-second groundswell from the SSE, energy at 65. “Surfable but very ordinary.” Longboard day.

Monday, July 27th, morning has a clean cross-offshore E wind and 1ft of 14-second swell (energy 53), still tiny.

Tuesday, July 28th, morning: glassy, light N wind, 1ft of 13-second SE swell, energy at 72. The best of the weak bunch—clean, glassy, but small.

The one real standout is Thursday, July 30th. Morning: 4ft of SE groundswell at 15 seconds, with a strong offshore NE wind at 16 mph, clean as a whistle. Energy jumps to 740—moderate energy, and the first three-digit number we’ve seen. Afternoon: 4ft of SE swell at 16 seconds, NE wind at 19 mph cross-offshore, still clean, energy at 861. This is the session. The swell direction from the SE is a bit off the optimum S, but the size and cleanliness make up for it. This is for intermediate to advanced surfers—4ft isn’t huge, but with that long period (15-16 seconds), it’ll have some push. The river mouth can handle groundswell, so expect some good lines. Crowds are listed as “often,” so you’ll have company.

Bottom line: you’re waiting nearly two weeks for a proper surf. The gap from July 15th to July 23rd is a write-off. July 24th to 29th gives you tiny, clean windows but nothing to hustle for. The one true standout is Thursday, July 30th, with clean, moderate-sized groundswell and offshore winds. That’s the day.

Rusty.

Read more