San Vicente Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but a solid pulse of swell is building for the end of the month and into the first week of September, with a real standout on the horizon.

The first real surfable window kicks off on Monday, August 31st at San Vicente Rivermouth. We’re seeing a clean 5 ft NW groundswell rolling in with a long 10-second period. The wind is glassy in the morning, WNW light air at 3 mph, so the surface should be clean. The water is sitting at 71°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (475), so there’s some push behind it. This is the best call for the near term. Monday afternoon sees the wind turn onshore and the quality drops, so get it early.

Tuesday morning, September 1st, the swell drops to 4 ft from the NW, but the wind goes glassy again from the ENE at 3 mph. It’s surfable, but very ordinary – the energy is weak (231). Not a standout, but a session if you’re keen.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Wednesday, September 2nd, right through to Friday, September 4th, the surf is tiny and the winds are messy. There’s nothing worth paddling out for. A full week of flat, poor conditions.

Saturday, September 5th is where things get interesting. A big pulse of NW swell arrives, pushing up to 6 ft in the morning with a very long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a massive 1179 (moderate to strong). The issue? The wind is cross-shore from the ENE at 6 mph, which will put some texture on the face. This is a big groundswell, and with that long period, it’s going to be a bit straight at the rivermouth. It’s for experienced surfers only – 6 ft with that much energy is a handful. If you’re an expert, Saturday morning is your window. The afternoon gets chopped up by onshore winds.

Sunday, September 6th, the swell drops to 4 ft, still a reasonable 11-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and the energy is moderate (427). Nothing special.

We get another little glassy window on Monday, September 7th, but the swell is tiny (2 ft and 2 ft). It’s a clean, small surf day for a longboard or a log, but not much else.

From Tuesday, September 8th, through to Thursday, September 10th, it’s back to small, poor conditions. A total waste of time.

The real standout is Monday, September 15th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We’ve got a morning of 5 ft NW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is glassy from the ENE at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (872). This is an excellent groundswell with clean conditions. The water is still a touch warmer than usual. This is a solid, high-quality session for intermediate to experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit of a cross-onshore breeze, but the morning will be magic.

The day before, on Monday, September 14th, the afternoon shows a big 4 ft swell with a very long 17-second period, and the energy is strong (674). The wind is light and offshore from the NNE. That’s a pretty promising sign for the following morning, but the 17-second period is incredibly long – it’ll be lining up straight and might be tricky at the rivermouth. Still, worth a look if you’re a patient surfer.

So, to wrap it up: Monday, August 31st morning is your best bet for the first week, and Tuesday, September 15th morning is the big one to aim for. The rest is a mix of small, wind-affected slop or flat spells.

Rusty.

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