Kugenuma Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, to be honest, it’s a pretty grim start. We’re looking at a long stretch of flat, choppy, and downright depressing conditions. From Friday the 17th right through to the end of July, there’s just nothing to get excited about. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and every report is screaming "poor surf conditions." It’s a real bummer for the first week and a half.

The sole spot on the radar is Kugenuma Rivermouth. It’s a friendly little river-mouth wave for beginners, and it’s fairly consistent, but it’s not going to help us much in this first week. The water temp is a normal 78°F for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

The real tease happens around Monday the 27th of July. The swell finally starts to build, with a 4ft to 5ft SSE swell rolling in, and the wave energy jumps up to moderate levels (560-609). But the wind is still onshore, ruining any chance of clean surf. It’s a cruel tease.

Then, we get our one true standout. Tuesday the 28th of July is the day to circle. The morning is looking glassy with a light 4ft S swell, and the wave energy is strong (607). The paddle out will be a breeze with that long 12-second period. The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions." This is your best bet, but it’ll be a short window before the onshore wind kicks in by afternoon.

Wednesday the 29th of July has the biggest swell of the run, with a 5ft to 5ft SSW groundswell (period of 15 seconds), and the combined energy is very strong (974-1183). However, the wind is cross-onshore and then onshore, so it’s going to be choppy and messy. This is a big wave with a very long period, so at a rivermouth, it might actually wall up and offer some fun, but it’s a gamble with the wind. This one is for the experts only, as it’s over 5ft.

After that, the swell drops off and the wind howls onshore again through the end of the month and into August. The first of August sees a return to tiny, wind-affected junk.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a write-off. The only real hope is the morning of Tuesday the 28th of July. Get out there if you can, because it’s the only clean window in sight.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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