San Jose Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what we’ve got coming down the pike. It’s been a quiet start, but there’s a pulse building for a solid run of waves later on. Let’s get into it.

First up, we’re looking at San Jose Rivermouth. This river mouth setup is a consistent little number, fairly exposed, and it likes swell from the south. For a river break, it’s normally a fairly consistent spot, so when it’s flat, it feels a bit off. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year.

The swell shows up this Saturday the 12th with a clean 3 ft SW groundswell, period pushing 14 seconds. That’s got some decent push, and with the wind going glassy in the morning and a slight offshore breeze in the afternoon, the surface will be smooth as a mirror. Combined energy is around 314 – a modest kick, but enough for a fun session. This is a solid little starter.

Things go a bit flat and marginal through Sunday and Monday, with some smaller 2-2 ft leftovers and afternoon cross-off winds keeping it rideable but nothing to write home about. That 18-second period on Monday is a long one, but the energy is still moderate (423) and with a risk of thunderstorms, it’s just not firing on all cylinders.

Then we hit a little lull. From Tuesday the 15th through most of Thursday, it’s small, with weak energy readings hovering in the 300-500 range. The wind is a bit messy – cross-on or light cross-shore chop. You can get wet, but it’s not proper surf.

Things start to wake up properly on Thursday afternoon the 17th. The swell edges up to a clean 3 ft from the SSW, period a solid 14 seconds, and a cross-off wind from the WSW cleans it right up. Energy bumps to 732 – moderate, but feeling more purposeful. This is the first real standout. The surface will be clean, and the wave shape should be well-defined for an intermediate crew. Crowds are often around here, so expect some company.

Friday the 18th shows another long-period groundswell (19 seconds) at 3 ft, but the morning is glassy and the afternoon gets a bit crossed up. The energy is up at 760, so there’s weight in the water even if the height is modest. Long-period swells like this tend to reel down the river mouth better than a beach, which is a bonus here.

The best of the whole run is stacked up on Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st. Swell climbs to a nice 4-4 ft from the SW, period around 17-19 seconds. This is a proper groundswell. Energy readings are in the 791 to 931 range – solid moderate power. Winds are glassy on Monday morning and cross-off clean on the other sessions. This is classic, clean, pumping river-mouth surf. Not too big for intermediates, but with enough grunt to put a smile on your face. This is the true highlight of the outlook.

From Tuesday the 22nd through Thursday the 24th, it slowly drops. Swell stays around 3 ft, with a bit of cross-shore wind, but the clean windows are still there. Afternoon glass-offs on Thursday the 24th with a 3 ft SW swell and 14-second period will be a fun, mellow end to the run.

A couple of small glassy days follow on the 25th and 26th, with little 2-3 ft pulses and calm winds. Easy fun, nothing special.

Then on Sunday the 27th, we get a big spike – 8 ft from the SE at 15 seconds. The combined energy is a whopping 3271, which is strong to very strong. That is expert territory. At that size, a river mouth can get mean and chunky, and with an onshore wind, it will be a raw, powerful beast. Not for the faint of heart. That’s the long-range promise, but it’s still a week and a half out, so don’t book the week off yet.

Rusty, signing off.

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