San Gabriel Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up: the outlook for the San Gabriel Rivermouth is not looking flash for the first week. You’re looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. The first recommendation doesn’t show up until Sunday the 19th of July, and even then it’s only marginal. Before that, from Thursday the 16th through to Saturday the 18th, it’s flat-out poor with tiny swell and cross-onshore winds. The combined wave energy is very weak, staying under 500 (144-414). Basically, don’t bother waxing the board.

The first flicker of hope comes on Sunday the 19th. We get a noticeable bump in energy with combined energy hitting 996 in the morning and 1174 in the afternoon. The swell shows up at 3ft from the S to SSW, with a long period of 14 to 17 seconds – a proper groundswell. The Rivermouth will handle that long period well, shaping things up, but the cross-onshore wind in the morning (SSW at 6 mph) will keep it a bit bumpy. The afternoon has a WSW onshore wind at 9 mph, and the comment says “unknown” surf texture, so treat it with caution. The break is inconsistent, so you’ll have to be patient. The water temp is about average for July, so a spring suit might be fine.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st drop off again with combined energy falling back under 600 and poor conditions. Wednesday the 22nd morning shows a small window with light, onshore winds (SSW at 6 mph), but the swell is only 3ft with a 15-second period. Energy sits at 448 – still on the weak side.

Now, things start to get a bit more interesting around Thursday the 23rd. The swell builds to 5ft from the S, period of 14 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 883 in the morning and 1045 in the afternoon. It’s still a marginal forecast, and the wind is cross-onshore from the S at 6-9 mph, which isn’t ideal. Still, the energy is moderate.

The best chance we see in this whole window lands on Friday the 24th of July and Saturday the 25th of July. Friday morning has 5ft S swell at 14 seconds, and for the first time, the wind goes onshore but light from the SSW at 6 mph, giving us unknown but potentially clean early-texture surf. The combined energy is 1462 – that’s moderate to strong energy. Saturday the 25th morning is very similar with 5ft from the SSW on a 14-second period and light cross-onshore SSE wind at 6 mph. Energy hits a peak of 1704 for the whole forecast. The swell direction (SSW) matches the spot’s optimum (SSW) perfectly. This is the only true standout. The water temp remains average.

Remember, the break is inconsistent, so you might wait a bit between sets. The optimum swell direction means the river mouth should focus that energy nicely. Crowds can pop up here at times, so be ready to share.

From Sunday the 26th, the swell fades quickly back under 3ft through to the end of the month. The combined energy drops back under 1100, and we’re back to marginal or poor surf. The long-range stuff beyond the 26th is less reliable, but the numbers don’t lie – it looks weak.

To sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The real window, the only one worth keeping an eye on, is Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th of July. That’s when the San Gabriel Rivermouth should offer the best (and most consistent-looking) surf. Keep your expectations in check for everything else.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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