Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it.

The next couple of weeks at Rivermouth are a mixed bag. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, then a couple of clean windows, but a lot of junky, blown-out stuff in between. The ocean’s running cold too—about 5° colder than normal for this time of year, so that’s a thick wetsuit, hood, and booties situation, no arguments.

First up, Wednesday morning (August 5th) is actually looking like a decent little window. We’ve got a clean 4ft east swell rolling in with a proper 10-second period. The wind is glassy, almost nothing out of the NNW, so it’s going to be smooth and peel nicely. The energy is a bit weak at 346, but for a beginner-friendly spot, this is about as good as it gets to start. The river mouth is super consistent, so you’ll get plenty of waves. Expect some company, though, as it’s a popular joint.

Thursday and Friday are a write-off. The swell drops, the wind turns cross and cross-on, and the chop comes up. Friday morning has a bit of a pulse from the SSW but it’s messy with a 9 mph ENE breeze. Not worth the paddle.

Then we get our first real standout: Saturday morning, August 8th. This is the one to circle. The swell is 4ft from the SSW with a solid 15-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the NNE. Clean, lined-up, and that long period groundswell will have some push to it. The energy is strong at 834. It’s a morning session for sure, and the afternoon is looking glassy too, though a touch smaller. This is the pick of the first week.

Sunday afternoon things get ugly. The swell jumps to 12ft with an 8-second period, wind onshore from the south at 16 mph. That’s a washing machine. Monday and Tuesday are no better—big, messy, cross-on slop. You’d be better off finding something else to do.

Wednesday morning, August 12th, is another interesting one. The swell is 7ft from the southeast with a short 8-second period, but the wind is cross-off from the WSW, keeping it clean. The energy is moderate at 890. It’s a bit bigger, so maybe not for the absolute beginners, but for the more competent crew, there’ll be some fun, punchy ones.

Then we hit the big stuff. From Thursday, August 13th, through Friday, August 14th, the swell is a solid 10ft and it’s just too big for this break. It’s an expert-only situation, and even then, it’s going to be a lot of water moving. The wind is favorable at times, but the size is the problem. This is not beginner territory, and honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing day.

After that, the swell backs down. Saturday the 15th is small and cross-onshore in the afternoon, not great. But Sunday morning, August 16th, has a clean 4ft east swell with a light cross-off breeze. Not as powerful as the 8th, but still a decent, clean option. The energy is weaker at 338, so it’ll be softer.

The rest of the second week is pretty quiet. Small swells, cross-shore winds, and a few marginal windows. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th have some SSW swell, but it’s onshore or cross-onshore, and on Thursday afternoon the swell just explodes to 13ft with a 15-second period. That’s way, way too big for Rivermouth. Again, kite-surfing territory.

So, bottom line: Wednesday morning the 5th is a good opener, but Saturday the 8th is the standout of the fortnight. Sunday the 16th is a worthwhile second option. The rest is either too small, too messy, or too big. Keep an eye on that cold water.

Rusty out.

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