Riviera Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.41° N 117.61° W

Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 22 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Riviera sea temperature is
23.1° C
3.9° 

Riviera surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Riviera surf forecast from 23 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, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,133 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period with S 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. 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 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Thu 23rd Jul)4ft (1.2m) 13s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Most Powerful11AM (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 the next couple of weeks are serving up for us.

The coming weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, with a slow start, a small window of cleaner but small waves, and then a bit of a pulse that might be worth a look. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The first real chance for a surf comes in on Thursday morning, July 23rd, but it's nothing to write home about. We're looking at a 4ft swell from the south, with a 13-second period from a long way out. The combined energy is moderate (622). The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, which will keep things a bit bumpy. Honestly, it's marginal at best.

The next few days are a grind. Friday, July 24th, drops to 2ft, and while the period jumps to 24 seconds, that's a very long period groundswell that can be tricky. Wind stays cross-on. Saturday, July 25th, offers the cleanest conditions of the early run with a light onshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The swell is small at 3ft from the SSW, but the energy is moderate (922). It's a "on" wind state, so it might be glassy but the wave quality is still questionable. Sunday, July 26th, is a write-off with poor conditions.

Now, look at Monday, July 27th, through Tuesday, July 28th. The swell pushes up to 4ft to 5ft from the SSW with a solid 17-18 second period. The energy jumps into the strong range (1120 and 1179). The best part? The wind is light and onshore (SW at 6 mph), meaning the surface should be clean. This is the best bet of the first week. The combined energy is strong (1120-1179), and the 5ft height is solid for a beginner break like Riviera. It's a very consistent spot, so there will be waves. Keep in mind crowds are possible here.

After that, the swell backs off again through the end of July. By the start of August, we get a pulse. On Saturday, August 1st, we see a 5ft to 6ft south swell, but the period drops to 13 seconds. The wind is a light cross-onshore (WSW at 6 mph). The energy is strong (1190). This is the biggest swell of the whole period, but the shorter period and cross-wind mean it won't be as clean as the late July window. The 6ft is getting into the zone where beginners might struggle.

After that, it's a long, quiet run. From Sunday, August 2nd, the swell drops and the conditions turn poor. The combined energy falls to weak levels (264 down to 144) from August 3rd through to the end of the forecast on August 7th. The wave heights are tiny (1ft to 3ft) and the wind, while light, keeps things messy. There's simply nothing to recommend for a paddle.

Best on offer: The standout is Monday, July 27th, and Tuesday, July 28th, at Riviera. Clean, onshore wind, a moderate 4ft to 5ft swell from the SSW with good energy. It's the most consistent and cleanest window of the entire forecast. The Saturday, August 1st, swell is bigger, but the cross-wind and shorter period make it a secondary call.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
4
0
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SSW
14
1.2
S
13
1
S
13
1
S
13
0.7
SW
24
0.6
SSW
24
0.9
SW
21
0.9
SSW
21
0.9
SW
21
1.2
SW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.1
SW
18
1.1
SW
18
1.3
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
17
1.4
SSW
17
1.4
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
400
475
339
350
563
368
664
799
640
1100
863
743
719
1056
883
771
1133
1094
938
Wind (km/h)
5
SE
10
WSW
15
W
10
SSE
15
S
10
S
5
SSE
10
WSW
10
SW
5
WSW
15
S
15
S
10
SSE
10
SW
10
SW
5
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
5
S
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
on
cross
on
on
glassy
High Tide
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
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:56
5:56
5:58
5:58
5:58
6:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:55
7:55
7:54
7:53
7:53
7:52
 mm
Temp °C
21
25
25
23
24
25
22
26
26
24
25
25
23
25
25
23
25
26
23
Feels °C
22
26
24
25
24
25
23
28
27
27
25
26
25
26
25
25
25
26
25
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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