Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the forecast for Riviera over the next 16 days is a bit of a struggle. There’s no real stand-out session, and for the first week, we’re looking at small, weak swell with persistent cross-onshore winds that’ll keep things messy. The water temperature is 68°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

The first few days from Wednesday 8 July through to the weekend are plain disappointing. Swell is hovering around 3ft to 3ft, coming from the SSW, with a long period of 15 to 16 seconds – that’s a groundswell, but it’s weak, with combined energy around 714 to 399 (moderate). The wind is cross-onshore, light to gentle, but it’s enough to put a chop on the surface. It’s marginal, and the wave comment says it’s “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so I’d give it a miss. The swell is small and the waves are going to be lumpy and uninviting.

By Sunday 12 July, the wind swings a little more onshore from the WSW, and the swell drops to 3ft. The energy is still moderate (390 to 429), but the period drops to 14 seconds. Still, the surf is poor – we’re looking at a day of small, weak waves with a light breeze that’s not really cleaning it up. Monday 13 July and Tuesday 14 July are similar: small 2ft to 2ft swell, with combined energy dropping to 194 (weak) on Tuesday morning. The wind is onshore from the WSW, and the surf is poor. Honestly, this is a stretch of days where you’re better off doing something else.

Then from Wednesday 15 July to Friday 17 July, the swell gets tiny – 1ft to 2ft – with combined energy as low as 147 (weak) on Friday afternoon. The period is still 16 to 19 seconds, but the swell height is pathetic. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf is poor to marginal. There’s nothing to get excited about.

Saturday 18 July sees a bit of a pulse: 3ft swell from the SW, period 18 seconds, and combined energy 492 (moderate). But the wind picks up to a moderate breeze from the WNW, making it choppy and cross-onshore. The surf is poor, and the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only time you might start to take notice is around Sunday 19 July and Monday 20 July. The swell builds to 4ft on Sunday afternoon, then 6ft on Monday morning, from the S and SSW, with periods of 14 to 15 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1484 (strong) on Sunday afternoon and 1246 (strong) on Monday morning. That’s a proper swell. But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the wave comment still says “marginal surf forecast.” The swell is big enough that it might be too big for beginners on Monday (6ft), and the onshore wind will make it a messy, lumpy wall. For experienced surfers, it could offer some punch, but the quality is questionable.

After that, from Tuesday 21 July to Thursday 23 July, the swell drops back to 3ft to 3ft, with combined energy falling to 321 (moderate). The wind is cross-onshore and the surf is poor. It’s a flat end to the outlook.

So, the best on offer is Sunday 19 July afternoon and Monday 20 July morning, with a solid 4ft to 6ft SSW swell and strong energy. But the onshore winds will keep it from being clean. If you’re desperate for a wave, it might be worth a look, but don’t expect perfection. The first week is a write-off with small, weak, choppy surf. There’s a gap of about 11 days of poor to marginal conditions before that late pulse. Riviera is a consistent spot, but the forecasts just aren’t aligning for decent surf this time.

Rusty.

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