Surf Forecasts:
Riviera surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s period, S swell with 813 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with SSW 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riviera over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up. To be straight with you, it’s a pretty quiet stretch. We’ve got a little pulse of energy kicking things off, but don’t expect any fireworks. The water is sitting at a very unusual 73.2°F – that’s a lot warmer than we’d normally see for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner wetsuit or even just a rashie.
The only real window of opportunity is right at the start, from Wednesday, July 29th through to Saturday, August 1st. Riviera is our only break in the game for this period. It’s a beginner-friendly spot and it’s very consistent, so even when it’s small it’ll be breaking. The standout is Wednesday afternoon. We’ve got a long-period 4ft SSW groundswell, rolling in at 16 seconds. The combined energy is strong at (1016), and with the wind blowing directly offshore from the WSW, it’ll be clean as a whistle. That’s your best shot for a smooth, lined-up wave. Just know that crowds are sometimes an issue here.
Thursday and Friday hang in there with similar 3-4ft SSW swell, but the wind is more cross-onshore, so it won’t be as glassy. It’ll be surfable, a little bumpy, but still okay for a longboard or a funboard. By Saturday, the swell drops under 3ft and the energy starts to fade.
Then comes a long, flat stretch. From Sunday, August 2nd, all the way through to Wednesday, August 13th, the river is basically a lake. The swell drops to 1-3ft, but the real kicker is the commentary – it’s all flagged as poor surf conditions. The wave energy is weak, often under (200). There’s a little spike in period on Friday, August 7th with a 19-second swell, but it’s only 1-2ft with a nasty cross-onshore breeze, making it a complete non-starter for paddling. Honestly, that long-period energy on that tiny swell and cross-onshore wind would be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
Wrapping it up – Wednesday afternoon, July 29th, is the clear winner. After that, it’s a two-week dry spell. Don’t hold your breath, but forecasts can change.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 724 | 596 | 348 | 468 | 674 | 596 | 322 | 261 | 131 | 106 | 129 | 89 | 88 | 83 | 82 | 91 | 91 | 84 | 77 | 75 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:27PM1.80m | 10:49AM1.24m | 9:59PM1.76m | 11:17AM1.29m | 10:31PM1.68m | 11:45AM1.34m | 11:06PM1.55m | 12:14PM1.39m | 11:46PM1.37m | 12:48PM1.44m | 00:36AM1.16m | 1:29PM1.48m | 1:54AM0.95m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:21PM0.61m | 4:36AM-0.13m | 3:58PM0.58m | 5:03AM-0.09m | 4:35PM0.55m | 5:29AM-0.02m | 5:17PM0.54m | 5:54AM0.09m | 6:05PM0.53m | 6:19AM0.23m | 7:05PM0.52m | 6:45AM0.38m | 8:25PM0.49m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — |
 | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 724 | 596 | 348 | 468 | 674 | 596 | 322 | 261 | 131 | 106 | 129 | 48 | 41 | 37 | 30 | 31 | 21 | 84 | 77 | 75 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 15 | S 13 | S 13 | W 7 | S 9 | S 11 | S 10 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 14 | S 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 272 | 343 | 276 | 202 | 14 | 44 | 146 | 69 | 47 | 35 | 22 | 89 | 75 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 91 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | S 16 | W 7 | — | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | S 9 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 20 | 12 | 174 | 22 | — | 15 | 22 | 14 | 61 | 91 | 49 | 46 | 88 | 46 | 23 | 91 | 39 | 22 | 36 | 40 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 89 | 0 | 81 | 89 | 0 | 86 | 89 | 0 | 85 | 89 | 31 | 68 | 89 | 0 | 81 | 89 | 0 | 81 | 203 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Riviera surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest