Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down in feet and degrees.

First up, we’ve got Riviera. The water is sitting at 71.2°, which is a solid 4.5° above the norm for this time of year – feels more like a tropical bath than a typical July. That’s a nice bonus.

The week kicks off Monday the 27th with a long-period SSW groundswell, 18 seconds, pushing around 4.3ft. The combined energy is pumping at 1126 (moderate to strong), so there’s some serious juice in the water. Wind is light and onshore from the SW, which is a bit of a bummer – keeps it from being perfect. The wave comment says “marginal surf” and questionable tides, so it’s not a total write-off, but it’s not clean. Monday afternoon drops a notch, still onshore.

Tuesday the 28th holds similar size, 4.3ft, still a long 17-second period, but the wind swings S and picks up to 9 mph, cross-onshore, making it choppy. The energy stays high (1066–1112), but the texture is rough. Wednesday the 29th sees the swell ease a touch to 3.6–3.9ft, period dropping to 16 seconds, and the wind stays light cross-onshore. Small wind ripples, not great.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st offer a little more size – Friday morning hits 5.2ft, the biggest of the run, but it’s short-period (13 seconds) and the wind is onshore. The energy is still solid (907), but it’s not well-shaped. Through the weekend and into early August, the swell drops fast. Sunday the 2nd through Tuesday the 4th, we’re looking at tiny 1.3ft to 1.6ft – poor surf. The energy drops to three-digit numbers (207 down to 124), and the wind is either cross-onshore or onshore. It’s a dead zone.

From Wednesday the 5th to Friday the 7th, there’s a slight pulse: 2.0ft to 2.3ft, but the period bounces around – even a 21-second groundswell on the 6th, but only 1.3ft, so it’s all noise. The energy stays in the low to mid hundreds (116–475). The wave comments are “poor” or “marginal.” Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th see a small lift to 2.6ft–3.6ft, with a 15–16 second period. The combined energy steps up to 621 on the 8th afternoon, but winds are cross-onshore, choppy. Not a standout.

The second week from Monday the 10th to Tuesday the 11th fades again – 1.6ft to 2.0ft, poor surf, low energy. The best bet in this whole 16-day window is the first few days, but honestly, it’s not a firing stretch. The only real standout? Friday morning, the 31st of July, with 5.2ft from the S, a 13-second period, and light onshore wind. The combined energy is 907, so there’s power, but the short period and onshore wind mean it’s more for the experienced paddler who doesn’t mind a bit of chop. For a beginner, that 5.2ft is a bit big, and the quality isn’t there. The rest of the window is a long, slow fade.

Overall, it’s a quiet spell. The surf is marginal, the winds are rarely clean, and the swell drops off hard. Not one for the highlight reel.

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