Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The ocean’s been up and down, but right now it’s all about picking the right windows. The first real chance we get is Monday the 14th, and honestly, it’s a bit of a beast. Rivermouth is looking at a solid 10-foot east swell, with a 10-second period. That’s a lot of water moving, and the energy reading is way up there at 1855 – you can feel that push. But here’s the catch: it’s too big for this spot. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNE at 5 km/h, which would be perfect if the swell were smaller, but at this size, it’s a washing machine for most. The water is 63°, which is a couple of degrees colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that chill on the paddle out. It’s a beginner-friendly break, but this isn’t the day for learning. You’d want to be a solid surfer just to handle the size, and even then, it’s a handful.

After that, the week goes sideways. Tuesday the 15th drops a bit to around 6 feet, but the wind goes cross-on from the SSE, and the surf is just messy. The energy drops to 888, which is moderate, but the conditions are marginal. Wednesday and Thursday are write-offs – strong cross/on-shore winds, rain, and the swell gets jumbled. The energy does spike to 1077 on Thursday afternoon, but with 7-foot of short-period SSE swell and onshore wind, it’s just lumpy, poor surf. Friday keeps the onshore flow, and the swell stays in the 6 to 8-foot range, but it’s all chop. The energy climbs to 1128 on Friday afternoon, but it’s not doing us any favors with that wind.

Then Saturday the 19th is a big one. The swell jumps back up to 12 feet, with east-southeast direction and a 10-second period. The energy is pumping – 2868 on the afternoon. The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NE, but again, 12 feet is just too much for Rivermouth. It’s a classic case of “right place, wrong size.” Sunday the 20th is similar – 10 feet in the morning, glassy with a light NNW breeze, and a big energy reading of 1743. It’s clean, but still too big. The water will be all over the place, and it’s just not a fun, manageable wave for this break.

We get a bit of a breather early next week, but it’s marginal at best. Monday the 21st is poor, with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy surf. Tuesday the 22nd is a step down – around 6 feet – but the wind is cross-on and the waves are gutless. The energy readings are in the 800-900 range, which is moderate, but there’s no punch.

Now, here’s the standout. Wednesday the 23rd, morning. The swell drops to around 4 feet, but the period stretches out to 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, with a slight air from the SSE. The energy is 726, which is moderate, but the quality is there. This is the best window in the whole run. Clean, lined-up waves, that long-period push, and no wind to mess it up. It’s still small, but for Rivermouth, this is the one to be out for. The only downside is it’s not big, but the conditions are spot on. Thursday the 24th is a letdown – the swell backs off to around 3 feet, and the wind comes up, so it’s marginal again.

Friday the 25th has a bit of hope. The morning is around 6 feet, cross-off from the NNE, and clean. The energy is 723. It’s okay, but the afternoon looks better – a drop to just under 6 feet, light cross-off from the N at 10 km/h, and clean conditions. The energy is 649. It’s a solid, if not spectacular, surf. The wind is light, so the surface will be nice. Not a standout, but a fun one.

The last few days of the window are mostly poor. Saturday the 26th is a mess – moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy, weak waves. Sunday the 27th is marginal, with light onshore winds and a small, short-period swell. Monday the 28th stays poor, with moderate cross-shore winds. The final day, Tuesday the 29th, has a bit of a boost in energy – 1523 – with around 6 feet of swell from the southwest, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the NE, and it’s lumpy. Not worth getting wet for.

So, the bottom line: if you want the best of the best, it’s Wednesday the 23rd, early. Glassy, clean, and that 12-second groundswell makes it feel better than the size suggests. The other half-decent window is Friday the 25th afternoon, but it’s a step down. The rest is either too big, too messy, or too small to get excited about.

Rusty

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