Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and get down to what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, straight out of the gate, there’s nothing to get excited about. The whole forecast period is a real struggle for quality surf. The swell is there, but it’s a messy story of cross-onshore winds and poor conditions that are going to chop things up. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal to poor surf, so don’t bother checking the cams until the very end of the run. The first real glimmer of something half-decent doesn’t show up until much later.

The main break on offer is Riviera. It’s a beginner-friendly spot that’s very consistent, but that consistency is currently working against it. The wind, mostly from the west and southwest, is blowing cross-onshore nearly the whole time, which is a killer for clean waves. The water temperature is 74°F with an anomaly of 7°F, making it much warmer than normal for this time of year.

The only real standout in this entire 16-day window is the morning of Wednesday, August 26th at Riviera. The swell is coming from the south (S) at a solid 3 ft, with a period of 18 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell with good energy in the water (873 combined energy). The wind is a light breeze from the west-southwest, which is a cross-onshore, but it's light enough that it might just be small wind ripples rather than full-on chop. It’s still a marginal call, but relative to the rest of the period, this is the best you’re going to get. It’s not a day for beginners, but it’s the only window where a more experienced surfer might find a few decent ones.

Before that, the whole stretch from August 11th all the way through August 22nd is a write-off. There are several days in a row with no real recommendations. The winds are just too messy, and the swell is too weak and poorly directed. Even when the swell height bumps up to 4 ft on Saturday afternoon, August 15th, the cross-onshore winds ruin it.

The very end of the period, around Monday, August 25th and Tuesday, August 26th, shows the most promise. The swell directions swing more southerly, and the combined energy starts to climb significantly, hitting 1134 on the afternoon of the 26th. That’s moderate to strong energy. The wind is still a factor, but the light breeze conditions on the 26th morning give it a chance. It’s a long way out, so don’t book the trip just yet, but keep an eye on it.

Outside of that one Wednesday morning, it’s not looking good. You’re better off waxing the kiteboard than the shortboard for the next two weeks.

Rusty.

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