Riviera Shorebreak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day window for Riviera Shorebreak, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a real frustrating one. This spot rarely breaks, and the forecast is a rollercoaster of nearly-there moments and flat spells. The water is a warm 89° with a water temperature anomaly of 3°, so it’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is nice, but you’ll be sweating it out waiting for a wave.

We’re starting off with a real slow burn. From Tuesday the 18th through the morning of Thursday the 20th, the combined swell energy is weak to moderate (around 350), but the winds are all cross-on or onshore, and the tide is just feeling wrong. The surf is small, around 3 ft from the SW with a period of 14 seconds. It’s clean-ish, but the overall quality is poor. You’ll be battling light cross-onshore wind ripples for a tiny wave.

Thursday afternoon the 20th drops to a 2 ft swell, and the energy falls to 218. It’s not looking promising. The rest of the week into Friday morning the 21st is more of the same – marginal at best.

Then, on Friday afternoon the 21st, we get a little glimmer. The wind goes glassy, coming from the NNW at 3 mph. The swell is still only 2 ft from the SW, but with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is 215. It’s tiny, but for a short window, if you’re on a longboard, you might find a clean, glassy wave. This is the only real standout in the first week, but it’s a very small window.

The following week, from Saturday the 22nd to Tuesday the 26th, is a total write-off. The swell hangs around 2 ft to 2 ft, and the winds are onshore or cross-onshore again. The energy is low (200-350 range). It’s just not worth getting wet.

Then, we see a pulse. Around Thursday the 29th and Friday the 30th, the swell starts to build. By Saturday morning the 29th, we’re seeing 4 ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 688. This is where it gets interesting. That long period groundswell is perfect for this point break setup, but the wind is still cross-onshore in the afternoons, creating a gentle chop. The mornings are cleaner, but the quality is still marginal.

The best chance of the whole outlook shapes up on the 1st of September. Tuesday afternoon the 1st, the wind goes cross-offshore from the N at 9 mph, with a 3 ft swell from the SSW. The energy is 473. That’s a clean, offshore window. Then, Wednesday morning the 2nd of September is the absolute standout. The wind is glassy from the SE at 3 mph, with a 2 ft swell from the SW, but here’s the kicker – the period is 16 seconds, and the combined energy is 493. That’s a clean, long-period groundswell with glassy conditions. For a spot that rarely breaks, this is a magic moment. It’s a session for the smooth, longboard glide.

Because this break is inconsistent, and the entire window is full of marginal conditions, the best advice is to keep an eye on the glassy windows on the 21st and the 2nd of September. The rest of the time, you’re just going to be frustrated.

Rusty.

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