San Vicente Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, this is a bit of a slow burner for San Vicente Rivermouth. The first week's looking pretty average, with a lot of small, choppy conditions. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, messing up any chance of a clean wave. The pattern is a bit frustrating, but hang in there – there's a real window of opportunity later on.

Friday 24th July kicks off with a tiny 2 ft N swell, but the wind is cross-on from the WNW at 12 mph, making it a write-off. The energy is weak (31), and it's just not worth paddling out for. The same goes for the rest of the weekend. Saturday 25th sees a bit more size, up to 4 ft, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph from the WNW, creating a nasty cross-chop. The energy ticks up to 99, but it's still ugly. Sunday 26th is a little cleaner with a gentle breeze, but the cross-chop remains.

Monday 27th July is the first time the potential shows its face. The swell is 4 ft from the NNW with a longer period of 10 seconds, giving it moderate energy (347). The wind is a light cross-on from the NE, which is still not ideal, but the morning gets a score of 1. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no need to worry about a winter wetsuit just yet.

Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th are still small and messy, but on Wednesday 29th morning, we get a glassy moment. The swell drops to 3 ft from the NW, but with glassy conditions from the N at 3 mph, it's a rare, clean moment. The energy is weak (96), but if you're desperate for a tiny, clean peel, it's your best bet in the first week.

Thursday 30th is glassy again in the morning, but the swell is even smaller at 2 ft. The energy is down to 64. It's a skunk session.

Then there's a quiet spell until the first week of August. The end of the first week and start of the second week is a bit of a dud, with tiny swells and messy winds.

Sunday 2nd August sees a jump in size, with 5 ft from the NW and a solid 11-second period, giving strong energy (505). But the wind is cross-onshore from the WNW, making it a messy, choppy mess. The afternoon cleans up a little with a light breeze, but it's still only marginal.

Monday 3rd August is the big one. The morning is glassy from the NW at 3 mph, with a solid 5 ft NW swell and a long 11-second period. The energy is strong (458). This is the standout. The river mouth should handle the long period nicely, offering some proper, lined-up waves with a bit of push. It's labelled as "expect good surf conditions," which is about as good as it gets in this forecast. The afternoon gets a cross-on wind, so hit it early. Crowds are possible at this spot, but for a Monday morning, you might get a few more turns to yourself.

After that, Tuesday 4th and the rest of the forecast drops off a cliff. The swell fades to under 3 ft, the wind swings back to messy, and the energy drops to weak levels. Thursday 6th and Friday 7th are tiny and weak, with the 8th looking like a complete write-off with a strong breeze.

Bottom line: The whole window is a mixed bag, but the absolute standout is the morning of Monday 3rd August. Get up early, grab the glassy conditions, and enjoy that 5 ft NW groundswell with a 11-second period. It's the only time the stars align. Everything else is small, choppy, or both.

- Rusty

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