Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First off, let’s be real. The outlook over the next couple of weeks is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a long period of pretty marginal conditions, but there are a couple of windows where things get interesting. The only spot we’re looking at is Riviera, a beginner-friendly break that’s exposed to the swell and very consistent. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

We start off on Tuesday, the 21st of July. It’s not great. The morning sees a 4ft SSW swell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and it’s an onshore wind. The combined energy is moderate at 858, but the wind is right on it, making it tough. The afternoon gets worse with a cross-onshore wind, not worth paddling out for.

Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off. The swell drops to 3ft, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy and poor. Thursday the 23rd is a little better but still marginal. The morning has a 4ft S swell with a 13-second period, and a light onshore breeze, but the energy is moderate (712). It’s not terrible for a beginner on a longboard, but it’s not good.

Friday the 24th is a weird one. The swell drops to 2ft but the period jumps to a massive 24 seconds. That’s very long-period groundswell. The energy is moderate (874), but with a cross-onshore wind, it’s messy. That long period will make it break straight and close out at a beach break, so it’s not a good look.

Now, the weekend. Saturday the 25th of July actually has some promise. The swell is 3ft from the SW with a very long 21-second period, and the wind is light and onshore. The energy is moderate (1011). It’s still marginal, but the clean wind makes it the best option so far. Sunday the 26th is similar, with a 3ft SW swell at 19 seconds, and light onshore winds. It’s still not firing, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen.

Monday the 27th is the standout of the first week. The swell picks up to 4ft from the SW, still with a long 18-second period, and the wind is light and onshore in the morning. The energy is solid at 1093. It’s the best we’ve got. The mornings are the call here, as the afternoons get a light cross-onshore ripple.

The rest of the week into the end of July is more of the same: marginal surf with light cross-onshore winds. It’s consistent but never great. The energy stays moderate, usually in the 800-1000 range.

Then we hit the end of the forecast period. Friday the 31st of July is a big change. The swell jumps to 7ft from the S, with a 15-second period, and the energy surges to a strong 1746 in the morning, and 2246 in the afternoon. This is serious swell. However, the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, making it choppy. For a beginner, 7ft is too big. For experienced surfers, the wind is a problem. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle surf.

Saturday, the 1st of August, sees the swell drop to 6ft, still with strong energy (1009), but the wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’s still messy. By Sunday the 2nd, the swell crashes down to 2ft, and the energy is weak (247). It’s poor. The rest of the run into the 5th of August is flat and poor.

The best on offer: Honestly, the pick of the litter is Monday the 27th of July, morning session. 4ft SW swell, long period, light onshore wind, and the most energy we’ve seen in the first week. After that, Saturday the 25th is a close second. The big swell on the 31st is too blown out for a clean ride.

Rusty.

Read more