Riviera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into the local outlook for the Riviera area.

Right now, the window opens with a pulse of long-period swell pushing through, but it ain’t clean. Tuesday afternoon we’ve got 4.3ft of SSW swell with a 17-second period, which is proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is reading 1109, so there’s plenty of power in the water. Trouble is, the wind is blowing straight onshore from the SW, so the surface is going to be messy. The water temp is 72.9°, which is a whopping 6.1° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, feels like a warm bath. The break itself is a beginner-friendly spot, very consistent, and it’s exposed to the SW, so it’s catching the swell. But honestly, with the onshore wind, Tuesday afternoon is only marginal at best. The crowd factor is “sometimes” busy, so you might have company, but the quality is low.

Wednesday morning, the swell drops to 3.6ft from the SSW, still a long 16-second period, but the wind goes cross-on from the same direction. It’s light, but it’ll put a bit of texture on the face. Combined energy is still solid at 871. Wednesday afternoon nudges up to 3.9ft of the same swell, with 1018 energy, but the wind is back onshore. Not great, not terrible – just mediocre.

Thursday sees the swell drop again to 3.6ft, period dropping to 13 seconds, and the wind stays onshore. The energy drops to 793. By Thursday afternoon, it’s 3.6ft, 15-second period, but the wind is still onshore from the WSW. Nothing to get excited about.

Friday morning, a bit of a bump to 4.9ft of S swell, 13-second period, but the wind is onshore. Energy is 837. That’s the biggest wave height of the week, but the wind is killing it. Afternoon drops to 4.6ft, period down to 12 seconds, and the wind goes cross-on. The combined energy is 668. This is still not a good look. The water is warm, but the surf is a dud.

Saturday and Sunday morning drop off fast. Saturday sees 3.9ft and 3.6ft, energy falling to 516 and 426, wind still onshore. Sunday, the swell collapses to 1.6ft, 13-second period, energy at 168, and the wind is cross-on. The surf is poor, and the comments say it’s poor surf conditions. After Sunday, it’s a long dry spell.

From Monday the 3rd of August right through to the end of the forecast window on the 12th of August, the swell is tiny – 1.3ft to 3.0ft – with periods all over the place, and energy readings mostly under 400. The wind is a mix of light onshore and cross-on breezes, but it’s all poor surf. There’s a little spike on the 7th and 8th of August with a 19-second period and 1.6ft to 2.6ft, energy up to 356, but it’s still poor surf. The 9th of August has 3.0ft with a 15-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-on at 12 mph, making it choppy. The 10th of August has a 1.6ft, 20-second period swell, but again, poor surf.

The standout window, if you can call it that, is really the first few days – Tuesday the 28th of July through to Friday the 1st of August. The swell is there, the energy is strong, but the wind is the enemy. For a beginner-friendly, very consistent spot like Riviera, the onshore wind ruins the shape. It’s more of a wind-swell mess than a clean surfable wave. If you’re a kiter, the consistent onshore wind and decent swell size might look interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a tough call.

Best bet: Tuesday afternoon the 28th of July has the most swell (4.3ft, 17-second period from the SSW, 1109 energy), and if you can handle the onshore wind, you might get a few lumpy ones. But honestly, wait for a cleaner day. The long-range stuff (from the 7th of August onward) is too small and weak to recommend.

No real standouts this time. The first few days are the only option, and they’re marginal. It’s a bit of a bummer.

Stay safe out there.

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