Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here.

First off, let’s be straight with you – this is a tough stretch for a wave. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re looking at a whole lot of small, weak, and generally unappealing surf. The wind stays mostly on it, making things messy. It’s not a write-off, but you’ve got to dig deep for a window.

The only spot on the cards is Riviera. It’s a beginner-friendly, very consistent break, which at least means there’s always a little bump of energy, but that doesn't mean it will be good. The deep water here is over 4° warmer than normal for August, which is pretty weird, but doesn't do much for the wave quality.

We kick off Monday the 3rd with tiny 1 ft of long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds) in the water. “Poor surf conditions” is the word, and the combined swell energy (213) is pretty weak. Onshore breeze doesn’t help. This continues through Tuesday and Wednesday the 5th. We see that combined energy drop to 175 (weak) and then 146 (weak). The wind is light but onshore, keeping the surface messy, so the first few days are a clear pass.

Thursday the 6th afternoon shows a glimmer of “marginal” surf (score 1) with a little bump to 2 ft from the SSW. The combined energy climbs a bit to 201, but with a light cross-onshore wind, it’s still choppy. We get Friday the 7th with a much longer period swell (19 seconds) – a proper groundswell. Wave height stays small (2 ft to 2 ft) but the combined energy jumps up to 448 (moderate). The problem is the morning is cross-onshore, making it choppy, and the afternoon is onshore. “Marginal” is the best we get (score 1). The weekend (8th-9th) is similar: small but punchy long-period swell with cross-onshore winds killing the quality.

Then we go into a long stretch from Monday the 10th through to Monday the 17th. Most of this period has the combined energy between 218 and 405, which counts as weak to moderate, but the direction stays SSW with cross-onshore winds. The wind is “light cross-onshore” or “gentle cross-onshore,” meaning it’s bumpy, not clean. There’s a period between the 11th and 14th where the swell period drops to 13 seconds, which isn't terrible, but the wind just kills it. The peak in combined energy comes on the afternoon of the 14th (671 – moderate) and the morning of the 15th (586 – moderate) with swell heights just touching 3 ft. This is the best we’ll see, but the word is still “marginal” (score 1). It’s a bumpy 3 ft with cross-onshore wind. Hard to get excited.

The last few days from the 16th to the 18th trail off back to poor conditions, with the energy dropping back to 171 (weak).

The Honest Takeaway: If you absolutely have to paddle, the afternoons of Thursday the 14th and Friday the 15th are your best shots. That’s when the combined energy (671 and 586) is highest, and you’ll get an inconsistent, long-period SSW groundswell hitting 3 ft to 3 ft. But with that cross-onshore breeze, it’s going to be a bumpy, messy wave. This is not a standout; it's the least worst option. Riviera is for beginners, and for 3 ft swell with bumpy conditions, it's really only fun for someone on a foamie. Crowds might be around.

For the rest of the 16 days, my honest advice is save your petrol. The wind is just not cooperating.

Stay dry.
Rusty.

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