Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming down the line for this stretch.

The wave show at Rivermouth is pretty much hitting a dead stop for a few days before things get interesting. We start on Wednesday morning the 26th of August with a solid 8 ft south groundswell, period way up at 17 seconds. That’s a lot of energy in the water (3734), and it's only for the experienced crew. Problem is, there’s a light cross-onshore breeze messing with the surface, so it’s not as clean as we’d like. Water temps are about what you'd expect for this time of year.

Thursday the 27th drops off fast. The swell drops to 5 ft and the wind swings cross-shore, fresh and lumpy. The score is low and the conditions are poor, so it’s a day to skip.

Friday the 28th, things perk up a bit. Morning session with a clean 6 ft east swell, period short at 10 seconds. The wind is light and cross-offshore, making for some tidy waves. This is the first real standout for the period – good for a few hours of fun before it fades out in the afternoon. Consistency is high, but don't expect perfection all day.

Saturday the 29th still has some clean 6 ft east swell in the morning with a gentle breeze, but it's dropping off by the afternoon into a small 3 ft south-southeast swell with cross-chop. Not your best window.

Then we hit a gap from Sunday the 30th of August right through to the end of the first week. The wind picks up strong, the swell mix gets messy, and the ratings tank. There are a few glassy mornings around Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September, but the swell is tiny (3 ft to 4 ft) and the energy is weak. It’s barely rideable.

After that, the real standout appears on Wednesday the 2nd of September. A solid 8 ft south-southwest groundswell with a long 15-second period rolls in. The combined energy is pumping at 3087, the wind turns cross-offshore, and it cleans right up. This is a big swell, so it's for experienced surfers only – too much for beginners. The period is long, so it might wall up on the bank, but the quality is there for the right crew.

Friday the 4th of September is a warning sign. That south swell jacks up to 12 ft, with energy in the thousands (2575), and the wind is light and favorable. But the report says it’s simply too big for Rivermouth. If you’re an expert with a big-wave gun, maybe, but for most, it’s a miss.

The swell cranks even bigger that weekend. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see 10 ft to 13 ft south-southeast swell, periods around 12 to 14 seconds, and strong cross-winds. Again, the break is marked as too big, so this is strictly for the elite or for watching from the beach. That kind of size and power (5890 on Sunday) is more in kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing for most.

The second week fades into poor, messy wind and dropping swell. Not much to call home about. The energy stays low and the wind is mostly on or cross-shore with chop.

So, to sum it up: Friday morning the 28th of August is your first clean, fun window for intermediate surf. The big standout to mark on your calendar is Wednesday morning the 2nd of September for the crew who charge.

Rusty.

Read more