Kugenuma Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on the cards for the Kugenuma Rivermouth stretch.

We're looking at a pretty mixed bag over the next 16 days. There's a bit of a slow start, but the real standout is going to be a big, powerful swell that shows up way down the track. The water temp is feeling about average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

The first real action worth paddling out for is a brief window on Wednesday morning, the 26th of August. The wind is glassy, almost dead calm, with a clean 3ft SSW groundswell rolling in at 12 seconds. The combined energy is at a moderate 250, and it’s going to feel clean and fun. But don't get too excited, because that afternoon the wind swings onshore from the SSW and it gets messy fast.

We then hit a flat spell. From Thursday the 27th right through to the end of the month, the swell drops off. There are a few mornings with glassy or offshore winds, but the waves are tiny, barely 1.0ft to 1ft, with weak energy readings in the low 20s to 30s. It's basically a lake out there. Not worth dragging the board out.

Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September see a little pulse of energy come back. The morning of the 1st is the pick of this period, with a 3ft SSW swell (combined energy 250) and a steady offshore NNE breeze at 15 km/h. The afternoon even bumps up to 3ft from the S with a clean cross-off breeze. It's not huge, but it's clean and surfable, and the crowds are often around here, so expect some company.

The middle of the first week of September, from the 2nd to the 4th, gets blown out. The swell actually builds, hitting 5ft to 7ft on the 2nd, with some serious energy (2559 on Wednesday afternoon), but the wind is howling onshore from the SSW and S at 20 to 40 km/h. It's a complete mess – that's kite-surfing territory, not for paddling.

After a few more days of small, clean but weak surf, we get to the big one. Mark your calendars for Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. This is the standout. The forecast is showing an 12ft swell from the S, with an incredible combined energy of 3172. The wind is a moderate offshore from the NE at 20 km/h, keeping it clean. Now, a word of caution: this is a big swell. At 12ft, this is strictly for experienced surfers, and the period is 12 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell that will really jack up on the river mouth. It might be too big for the break, but if you're an expert, this is the day to chase. The Tuesday afternoon also looks solid at 12ft with a clean cross-off breeze.

The swell drops back through the 9th and 10th, but there's still some decent, clean swell in the 5ft to 7ft range on the Wednesday morning (9th Sept) with a moderate offshore wind. That's a good backup option for the experienced crew.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is mostly a bust with a few clean but small windows. The real, powerful groundswell hits on the 8th of September, but it's big and for experts only. The morning of the 1st of September offers the best chance for a clean, manageable session for the average surfer.

Rusty.

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