Riviere Noire Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Riviere Noire Harbour over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, we’ve got a bit of a wait before anything really gets going. The first few days are a bit average, but don’t write it off. The ocean’s got a pulse, and once we hit the back half of the week, things start to look a whole lot better. The water’s sitting at 75.6°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner wetsuit or even just a spring suit.

Monday 14th September is a write-off with small, messy energy, so give it a miss. Tuesday 15th sees a bit more size with 4.3ft to 5.2ft of SSW swell, but that wind is howling at 22 to 25 mph from the southeast. It’s offshore, so the faces will be clean, but paddling into those 17 to 18 second period lines is going to be a real grunt. The combined energy is massive (2024 to 2828), but it’s not really user-friendly.

Wednesday 16th September is where it starts to get interesting. Wednesday morning we’re looking at 8.2ft of SSW swell with a 16-second period, and a solid offshore breeze. That’s a lot of water moving, and the combined energy is pushing 8143. This is expert territory only – if you’re not comfortable on a bigger board and in serious current, stay on the beach. The afternoon drops a touch to 9.8ft from the south but the period shortens to 15 seconds, still a heavy day.

Thursday 17th September is still pumping. The morning has 7.5ft of south swell with a 13-second period, clean offshore winds, and plenty of grunt (1811 combined energy). This is another day for the experienced crew. By the afternoon, it settles a bit to 5.6ft from the SSE, and the winds are lighter but still offshore. This is the first day that looks genuinely good for a strong intermediate surfer, with clean conditions and manageable power.

Friday 18th September is a nice, clean, fun-sized day. Swell drops to 4.3ft to 4.9ft from the south, with a moderate offshore breeze and combined energy around 560 to 654. This is a proper session for the everyday surfer. Clean, offshore, and no crazy crowds.

Now, there’s a bit of a lull over the weekend. Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th see the swell drop right off to under 3.3ft, but the wind stays offshore. It’s small but clean. The highlight here is Sunday afternoon – 4.3ft of SW swell, 14-second period, light offshore wind, and the forecast says to expect very good surf conditions. For the size, it might be the cleanest wave of the week.

Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd are small but clean again, with light cross-offshore winds. Nothing to get too excited about, but you could get a few fun ones on a log.

Now, here’s the real standout window. Wednesday 23rd September through to Saturday 27th September looks like the best run of the whole outlook. Wednesday brings 4.3ft of SSW swell with a 15-second period and light cross-offshore winds from the NE – that’s glassy and clean. Combined energy is a solid 800 to 857. This is a proper groundswell, and at a sandbar break like Riviere Noire Harbour, those long-period swells can set up beautifully. Crowds are listed as "sometimes", so you might have a few friends out, but it won’t be a zoo.

Thursday 24th September is a beauty. The morning is clean with 3.3ft of SW swell, but the afternoon is the gem – glassy conditions, 3.0ft of SSW swell, 17-second period, and the combined energy is 838. That’s a magic window for a longboard or a funboard.

Friday 25th September is the big one for the experienced crew. 5.9ft of SW swell, 13 to14-second period, clean offshore winds, and the combined energy is over 1300. The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers”. This is the pick of the bunch for a proper session.

Saturday 26th stays solid with 6.6ft of SSW swell in the morning, dropping to 4.9ft in the afternoon, both with offshore winds and excellent conditions. Sunday 27th has 8.2ft of SSW swell in the morning – that’s big, expert-only territory again – and then drops to 7.9ft in the afternoon.

After that, Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th see the swell drop back to 3.9ft to 4.6ft, with gentle offshore winds. A nice, mellow way to finish the run.

The Standout: If I had to pick one day, it’s Friday 25th September. 5.9ft of clean, offshore SSW swell with excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. For the less

Read more