Kugenuma Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the Kugenuma Rivermouth stretch. We've got a bit of a slow start, but there's some real potential brewing further down the line if you're patient.

The first few days are a write-off, honestly. From Friday the 21st through to Sunday the 23rd, the waves are tiny and weak, with combined energy barely cracking 50 (57). The wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, making it messy. Even the glassy moments on Saturday and Sunday mornings are on waves that are only 1 ft – not worth getting wet for. The surf is just "poor" across the board.

Then, Monday the 24th morning is where it gets interesting. A long-period groundswell rolls in from the SSE at 4 ft, with a period of 16 seconds. The energy jumps massively to 1384. The wind is glassy, and conditions are rated excellent for experienced surfers. That's the standout of the early window – clean, punchy, and decent size. The swell direction matches the optimum from the south, so it should wrap in nicely. Keep in mind that with a 16-second period, the sets will be long and the gaps between them will be noticeable, making the paddle out a bit easier. It's a Monday morning, so crowds might be around, but that's the trade-off for quality.

After that peak, things get messy again. Tuesday the 25th sees bigger swell (7 ft, 15-second period from the S, energy up to 2070) but the wind is onshore, making it a grovel. Wednesday and Thursday are a complete loss with heavy rain, strong cross-onshore winds, and plunging wave quality. The energy drops to between 130 and 424. By Friday the 28th, it's a full-on gale with 31 mph winds and no surf.

The weekend of the 29th and 30th is a slow rebuild. Small, ordinary waves (2 ft to 3 ft) but with clean offshore or cross-offshore winds from the NNE and ENE. The energy is still low to moderate (68 to 582). It's surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Now, the second week is where the real promise lies. Monday the 31st morning looks solid: 4 ft swell from the SSE with a 14-second period, offshore winds from the NE, and energy at 555. Conditions are expected to be "very good". Tuesday the 1st of September morning is even better – 5 ft swell from the SE (15-second period), offshore winds, energy at 1005, and described as excellent for experienced surfers. The direction is a bit east of optimum, but it's still clean and powerful.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is a standout: 7 ft swell from the SSE with a 16-second period, offshore winds, and energy at 1972. That's a proper swell. The afternoon bumps up to 8 ft and 17 seconds, but it's cross-offshore. For experienced surfers, Wednesday morning is a top pick.

Then, from Thursday the 3rd of September onwards, the swell gets huge. Thursday morning is 12 ft, Friday the 4th is 25 ft, both with 17-second periods and massive energy (8181 to 30492). The wind is fresh offshore, but the size is too big for the Kugenuma Rivermouth. It's expert-only territory, and even then, the river mouth might close out. Conditions are more suited for a solid tow-in or watching from the beach. Saturday the 5th morning drops back to 4 ft, but the wind is still fresh offshore – though the energy is low (314) and described as "poor".

So, the best on offer is clearly Monday the 24th morning for a clean, glassy start, and then the window from Monday the 31st morning through Wednesday the 2nd of September morning for bigger, cleaner, and more powerful surf. The later part of the second week gets too big for this spot.

Rusty.

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