Riviere Noire Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next sixteen days for Riviere Noire Harbour. This is a sandbar set-up, and it’s fairly consistent, so we’ve got options.

The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there.

We kick off on Tuesday the 18th, but it’s a bit of a slow start. The morning has a clean 4ft wave from the south, but it’s a cross-offshore breeze and the energy is moderate (694). The tide or something is making it questionable, so it’s not the one to get excited about. Tuesday afternoon drops a little in size to 4ft, still clean, but still marginal.

Wednesday the 19th looks better. The wind swings light offshore, gentle breeze, and we’ve got a clean 4ft south swell. The energy is still moderate (418), but the conditions are good. This is a nice, mellow morning session. The afternoon holds with similar 4ft and clean conditions.

Thursday the 20th is tiny. Morning has 3ft, light offshore, clean, but the swell is weak (308). The afternoon is even smaller at 2ft, but check this out: the period jumps to 17 seconds from the SW. That’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy picks up a bit (376). On a sandbar, that long period can make the waves really wall up, but it might also be a bit straight. Still, for a tiny wave, it’s interesting.

Friday the 21st is where things start to cook. The morning has a clean 4ft from the SW with a 14-second period, cross-offshore wind, and energy is moderate (568). The afternoon is the real standout for the first week. The swell jumps to 5ft from the SW, same 14-second period, but the energy gets strong (813). The wind is a clean cross-offshore, and it’s very good. This is the best session of the early run.

Saturday the 22nd has a solid 5ft to 5ft SW swell, strong energy (up to 940), and the afternoon turns offshore with a gentle breeze. Clean and punchy.

Sunday the 23rd rolls in with a big jump. We’re looking at 8ft from the SSW in the morning, and 8ft in the afternoon. This is getting into that expert territory. The morning is a bit marginal, but the afternoon has a gentle offshore and clean conditions. The energy is very strong (2248). This is for experienced surfers only.

Monday the 24th drops back a bit to 6ft to 6ft, still a solid SSW swell with strong energy (1256-1283), and the wind is light offshore or even a slight air. Clean, very good waves.

Now, the real standout of the whole run is Tuesday the 25th. The morning session is a 10ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period. That’s a very long period, and the energy is immense (4660). The wind is a gentle offshore. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even bigger at 12ft, but the wind picks up a bit and it’s cross-offshore, making it more marginal. The morning is the one to target.

Wednesday the 26th holds at 10ft, long period of 15 seconds, but the wind is a bit tricky, with the afternoon turning cross-offshore.

Then, Thursday the 27th fires up again. The morning is a 12ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, offshore wind, and the energy is massive (6940). This is exceptional for expert surfers. The afternoon is the same size, but the wind gets stronger and cross-offshore.

From Friday the 28th through to the end of the run, the swell stays solid, but the wind gets stronger. You’re looking at 8ft to 10ft surf, but with fresh offshore breezes up to 19-25 mph. The waves will be clean, but paddling out will be a battle. The energy is still very strong (3464-4562). This is for the fit and the brave.

The last few days of August and into September 1st and 2nd, the swell drops back to 4ft to 6ft, but the wind is still strong offshore, making it a tough paddle. The energy is moderate to strong, but the conditions are marginal for a relaxed session.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is Tuesday the 25th morning for the big, long-period groundswell, and Thursday the 27th morning for the biggest, cleanest swell. Those are the two standouts. Friday the 21st afternoon is your best bet for a fun, manageable wave earlier in the run.

Rusty.

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