
Surf Forecasts:
Riviera surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,120 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s 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 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 17s |
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 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.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 24 | SSW 13 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
437 | 394 | 400 | 475 | 339 | 345 | 563 | 125 | 664 | 664 | 527 | 863 | 863 | 635 | 719 | 926 | 1116 | 771 | 921 | 1020 | 818 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 4:40PM1.47m | 7:14AM0.88m | 5:36PM1.51m | 8:16AM0.96m | 6:26PM1.57m | 8:48AM1.02m | 7:09PM1.64m | 9:12AM1.07m | 7:47PM1.70m | 9:35AM1.11m | 8:23PM1.76m | 9:59AM1.15m | 8:55PM1.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:18AM0.71m | 00:41AM0.28m | 10:30AM0.81m | 1:32AM0.15m | 11:48AM0.85m | 2:10AM0.05m | 12:47PM0.83m | 2:43AM-0.03m | 1:32PM0.78m | 3:13AM-0.08m | 2:10PM0.72m | 3:42AM-0.12m | 2:46PM0.66m | 4:09AM-0.14m | |||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
— | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 22 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 7 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | W 7 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
437 | 394 | 114 | 475 | 339 | 345 | 304 | 46 | 664 | 664 | 527 | 863 | 863 | 635 | 719 | 926 | 1116 | 771 | 921 | 1020 | 818 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | S 14 | SSW 14 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | W 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | W 7 | SW 12 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 |
32 | 203 | 400 | 123 | 96 | 102 | 80 | 125 | 183 | 145 | 29 | 145 | 91 | 33 | 91 | 84 | 22 | 69 | 25 | 25 | 24 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SW 8 | S 13 | SW 18 | SW 26 | SW 26 | SW 24 | S 11 | W 7 | W 7 | S 10 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 10 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 10 | W 7 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 |
78 | 20 | 272 | 51 | 171 | 105 | 563 | 85 | 32 | 44 | 51 | 21 | 34 | 38 | 21 | 22 | 38 | 14 | 59 | 37 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 89 | 89 | 6 | 89 | 89 | 0 | 85 | 85 | 0 | 81 | 89 | 0 | 81 | 81 | 13 | 81 | 137 | 0 | 81 | 89 | 23 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










