Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Riviera’s got cooking for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a pretty average run of waves. We’re looking at a long stretch where the surf is just kind of… there, but never really firing. The water is a massive standout though – it’s running at 74°, which is about 7° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The first real action we can talk about is Wednesday the 22nd. The morning has waist-high swell at 3ft from the SSW with a long 14-second period, carrying a decent amount of energy (553). But the wind is a cross-on from the west at 9 mph, making it fairly choppy. The surf quality is poor, so it’s not really worth paddling out for a session.

Thursday the 23rd is a bit better, with 4ft from the S in the morning, but again that cross-onshore wind keeps things messy. Thursday afternoon drops to 3ft. It’s still marginal.

We roll into Friday the 24th. Morning has a small 2ft swell from the SW but with a very long 24-second period (energy at 947). That long period can create nice lines at the right spot, but with only light winds, it’s not generating much push. The afternoon is tiny at 2ft.

Saturday the 25th has a similar story: 3ft from the SW with a 21-second period (853 energy) and light winds. It’s better than nothing, but it’s really just a small, clean-ish wave for a longboard or a foiler.

Sunday the 26th we see a bit more size, 4ft from the SW (19 seconds, 988 energy), but the wind picks up from the south at 9 mph, creating a cross-on chop that kills the quality.

Things actually look their most *interesting* from Monday the 27th through Wednesday the 29th. Swell sizes stay around 4ft to 4ft from the SSW, with 16 to 18-second periods. The real kicker here is that on Monday afternoon and for most of Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th, the wind goes light and onshore from the SSW or WSW. Onshore wind usually ruins it, but the energy numbers are solid (hitting 1176, 1005, even 1082 on Tuesday afternoon). With that much juice and a relatively clean onshore breeze, these sessions are the best on offer, but still only marginal for quality. Tuesday morning and afternoon get a 3 out of 10 internally, which is about as good as this window gets.

After that, it drops off. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are smaller, with cross-on winds returning. However, Friday afternoon on July 31st sees a jump up to 6ft from the S (14 seconds, 1196 energy) with light onshore wind. That’s a decent pulse of swell, but it’s a bit raw.

The first of August brings the biggest surf of the forecast period – 6ft from the S on Saturday morning with 14-second period and a massive 1371 energy reading. Problem is, the wind is a moderate cross-on from the WNW at 12 mph in the afternoon, and a gentle cross-on in the morning. It’s going to be a choppy, bumpy mess for paddle surfing. A 6ft beach break with that much wind? That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, the second week of August really fades out. We get a few pulses of 5ft and 6ft early on, but the energy drops and the wind stays messy. By the 4th and 5th of August, we’re down to tiny, weak surf with poor conditions. There are no true standouts in this window – just a few days of “maybe” if you’re desperate for a paddle.

Signing off, Rusty.

Read more