Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looking out over the next couple of weeks, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating stretch for Riviera. The pattern is a long, drawn-out run of small, onshore or cross-onshore junk. We’re not talking about a single day of proper surf – it’s a near-constant string of marginal to poor conditions. You’ll see a gap of decent surfing opportunity right across the board; honestly, there isn’t a single standout session worth getting excited about.

Let’s start with Sunday the 9th. It’s a no-go. A south-southwest swell of 3 ft at a long 15 seconds, but the wind is on it from the west-southwest at 9 mph, and the combined energy is weak at 352. The water temperature is a very unusual 76°F, which is much warmer than normal for the time of year, but that’s about the only notable thing – the surf itself is poor.

Monday the 10th doesn’t get any better. Same small 3 ft south-southwest swell in the morning, dropping to 2 ft by the afternoon. The combined energy jumps to 399 in the arvo with a 20-second period, but with an onshore wind, it’s a waste – labelled poor surf.

Tuesday the 11th onwards is more of the same: tiny swell, never getting above 4 ft, and nearly every session is either onshore or cross-onshore. Even when the combined energy reaches 743 on Saturday the 15th afternoon, the west-southwest wind at 9 mph kills any chance of clean waves. The swell direction is from the south-southwest and southwest, which is the optimum for the break, but the wind just won’t cooperate.

Into the second week, it’s a bleak rerun. From Monday the 17th through to Monday the 24th of August, you’re looking at swell heights struggling to hit 3 ft, with periods mostly between 13 and 18 seconds. The combined energy occasionally nudges into the moderate range – like 474 on Wednesday the 19th morning – but the wind stays poor. Without a proper window of light offshore winds, this exposed beach setup just won’t produce. There’s nothing here for a surfer to chase. I’d say this run looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Bottom line: there are zero recommended surf options in this 16-day window. Riviera is very consistent, but it’s consistent in being poor. A blank run like this is more unusual for the area, so don’t lose hope – forecasts can change. But for now, keep the board in the bag.

Rusty.

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