Nera Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and crummy winds ahead, with only a brief window of something rideable slipping in right at the end of the forecast. Hang tight, because the first real chance of a wave is a long way off.

The surf at Nera Rivermouth starts out flat and frustrating. Through Friday and the weekend, we’re looking at a consistent 0.7ft of swell, and that’s about it. The energy is weak, with combined energy readings in the low teens to twenties – that’s just nothing to work with. The winds are mostly offshore or light, so the surface is clean, but you can’t surf a ripple. This dry spell runs right through the first week, with the morning of Monday the 11th seeing the swell drop to a pathetic 0.3ft. It’s a real bummer.

The middle of the week brings a pulse of energy, but it’s not the kind that gets you excited. From the 13th, the swell builds, but the wind turns cross-onshore and the waves get messy. By the 14th, we’re seeing 4ft to 5ft, but the combined energy is moderate at best, and the cross-onshore breeze chops it all up. The conditions are poor, and it’s not worth paddling out for.

Now, here’s the one bright spot, and it’s a week and a half away. On Saturday the 15th, the swell really fills in. The morning shows 6ft from the SSW, and by the afternoon it jumps to 8ft. The combined energy is strong, hitting four-digit numbers (1620 in the morning, 2079 in the afternoon). But the wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s going to be lumpy. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best we’ve got. This is a bigger swell, over 8ft, so it’s only for the experienced crew. The period is around 13-14 seconds, which is a proper groundswell, but this is a river and beach break, so that long period might make it close out a bit. It’s not a classic.

After that, the swell backs off but stays present. Sunday the 16th has 6ft in the morning, but it drops and the wind turns onshore. The 17th and 18th see the swell drop back to under 3ft with onshore winds – poor conditions. The 19th and 20th bring more energy, but the wind is howling from the southeast, up to 22 mph, making a mess of things. The 20th afternoon has 8ft of short-period, wind-whipped swell. With that kind of wind and a beach setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Finally, on Saturday the 22nd, we get a bit of relief. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 5ft from the SSW. It’s the only day that has a chance of being any good, but the energy is only moderate (399) and the period is a short 10 seconds. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. This is a rare spot, and it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect much.

The water temperature is 73° – that’s right about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

So, bottom line: the only real standout is the afternoon of Saturday the 15th, but it’s far from perfect. The 22nd is your second option, but it’s just a wave. Don’t get your hopes up for much else.

Rusty.

Read more