Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let's break down what Riviera's got cooking for the next couple of weeks. The water is warm – 71°F, which is 4°F above the usual for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Right now, we've got some long-period groundswell filling in. Don't get too excited, but it's there. This Sunday the 26th of July we are looking at a clean 4ft swell out of the SW, with a very long 19-second period. The wind is light and onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, and the wave energy is moderate (925). The afternoon drops to 18 seconds, same size. It's all flagged as "marginal surf," meaning it's rideable but nothing special.

Monday the 27th brings a touch more size – 4ft from the SSW, still with a long 18-second period. The morning wind is light and cross-onshore, so the surface won't be glassy. The combined energy climbs (1129) but the quality warning stays. For a break that's super consistent and beginner-friendly, you could definitely get wet.

Tuesday the 28th is more of the same: 4ft, 17-second SSW swell, but a 9 mph S breeze in the morning will stir up some chop. The afternoon cleans up with lighter onshore wind. Energy numbers are still solid (1065-1114), but every session is flagged as marginal. It's a persistent "meh" pattern.

Wednesday and Thursday keep it going with 4ft to 5ft swell, periods dropping from 16 to 13 seconds. The combined energy hangs in the moderate range (885-1025). Still, the forecast keeps calling it marginal. Friday the 31st holds at 5ft, but the period is down to 13 seconds and the 9 mph cross-onshore breeze won't help.

Saturday the 1st of August, the power starts to fade. The morning sees 5ft with a 12-second period and energy dropping (646). By the afternoon it's down to 4ft. Then from Sunday the 2nd of August, we hit a proper flat spell. From the 2nd all the way through to the 10th of August, swell is tiny – 1ft to 3ft – and every session is flagged as "poor surf conditions." That's a 9-day stretch with nothing worth paddling out for.

There's a tiny pulse on Friday the 7th of August – 2ft from the SSW, with a very long 19-second period again. Energy picks up a little (397), but it's still marginal. For a beach break, that super long period tends to make waves break too straight.

So what's the best of it? Honestly, this whole fortnight is a bit of a dud. The only window that's even working is from Sunday the 26th of July through to about Saturday the 1st of August, and it's all marginal quality. If you're a beginner who just wants to get out in clean, small waves, Sunday morning the 26th of July is your best bet – 4ft, 19-second period, light winds. That's as friendly as it gets here. For anyone with experience, the bigger 5ft days on the 30th and 31st of July have a little more juice, but the dropping period and bumpy winds will keep it from being any good.

After the 1st of August, put the board away. Over a week of flatness. That's just how it goes sometimes.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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