Surf Forecasts:
Riviera surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,133 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Riviera this week:
The surf forecast for Riviera over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Riviera in the next 16 days are 1.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riviera over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here with the Riviera lowdown. This is gonna be a long, drawn-out forecast with only a couple of decent windows, so let’s get to it.
First chance to get wet is Thursday morning, July 23rd. Swell’s about 4ft out of the south with a 13-second period, putting through a moderate amount of energy (619). The wind is light out of the west at 6 mph, but it’s cross-on, so it’ll be a little bumpy. The water is a toasty 73°, which is almost 7° warmer than usual—that’s a serious anomaly, so no wetsuit needed.
Friday, July 24th, gets smaller—2ft from the south-southwest, but the period jumps to 24 seconds. That’s very long-period groundswell, so it’ll have good shape but might break a bit straight. The wind is cross-on from the south at 9 mph. The energy is still moderate (949).
Now, Saturday morning, July 25th, is the pick of the first week. The swell is 3ft out of the south-southwest, 21-second period, and the wind goes to the west-southwest at 6 mph and it’s *on*shore. That’s light and clean. The energy is decent (910). The break is very consistent, so it’ll be fun small waves. Expect a few other folks out on a Saturday.
The middle of the week sees a bit more size—4ft to 4ft on Tuesday, July 28th, with a 17-second period and light onshore wind. The energy is solid (1156). That’s the best wave size of the run, but at 4ft it’s getting a bit big for beginners.
Then we hit a bad patch. From Thursday, July 30th, the quality drops into poor, and the swell fades fast. By the start of August, the swell is down to 1ft, and the energy is weak (202). There’s a dry spell of several days with no real surf from July 30th through to August 7th. For a spot that’s usually very consistent, this is a rough stretch.
The last kick comes Saturday, August 1st–a pulse of 6ft out of the south, 13-second period, and the energy hits 1307. That’s strong, but the period is short, so it’ll be chunky and less organised. At that size, it’s expert-only.
Bottom line: Saturday, July 25th is your best bet for clean, manageable waves. Tuesday, July 28th has the most size. The rest is a long wait.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 24 | SSW 24 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 475 | 339 | 350 | 563 | 368 | 664 | 799 | 640 | 1100 | 863 | 743 | 719 | 1056 | 883 | 771 | 1133 | 1094 | 938 | 612 | 724 | 706 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 5:36PM1.51m | 8:16AM0.96m | 6:26PM1.57m | 8:48AM1.02m | 7:09PM1.64m | 9:12AM1.07m | 7:47PM1.70m | 9:35AM1.11m | 8:23PM1.76m | 9:59AM1.15m | 8:55PM1.80m | 10:24AM1.19m | 9:27PM1.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:30AM0.81m | 1:32AM0.15m | 11:48AM0.85m | 2:10AM0.05m | 12:47PM0.83m | 2:43AM-0.03m | 1:32PM0.78m | 3:13AM-0.08m | 2:10PM0.72m | 3:42AM-0.12m | 2:46PM0.66m | 4:09AM-0.14m | 3:21PM0.61m | 4:36AM-0.13m | |||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — |
 | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 475 | 339 | 350 | 304 | 220 | 664 | 799 | 640 | 1100 | 863 | 743 | 719 | 1056 | 883 | 771 | 1133 | 1094 | 938 | 612 | 724 | 706 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 11 | W 7 | W 6 | S 12 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 |
| kJ | 93 | 71 | 102 | 82 | 61 | 128 | 31 | 29 | 99 | 47 | 47 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 14 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 26 | SW 26 | SW 24 | SSW 24 | W 6 | SSW 10 | S 10 | W 6 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 18 | WNW 10 | SSE 14 |
| kJ | 51 | 171 | 105 | 563 | 368 | 31 | 80 | 49 | 21 | 65 | 58 | 61 | 25 | 37 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 162 | 9 | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 89 | 89 | 85 | 81 | 85 | 23 | 89 | 89 | 0 | 81 | 81 | 32 | 68 | 203 | 0 | 85 | 89 | 0 | 81 | 89 | 35 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Riviera Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Riviera provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Riviera can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Riviera surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Riviera) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Riviera may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Riviera is 2 km (1 miles) from San Clemente. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in San Clemente. San Clemente has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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