San Vicente Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's coming down the line for San Vicente Rivermouth. Let's be straight with you – it's a skinny run for a while. The first half of the outlook is a tough one; we’re talking about a week or so where the waves are just too weak to get excited about. For the first week, through to around the 12th of July, you'll be looking at tiny swell, mostly under 3 ft, with a combined wave energy that barely gets into double digits, like 84 on the Sunday. We’ve got some glassy moments early on – Monday afternoon the 6th has that coveted glassy, clean look with a 1 ft NW swell and light NW wind, but it’s just not enough height to push a decent ride. Then it’s mostly cross-onshore breezes messing up what little push there is. It’s frustrating because the water temperature is sitting at 70°F, which is *much warmer than normal* for this time of year – 4°F warmer than average, so it feels like a good day to just float around. But paddling for nothing gets old fast.

Things start to look like they might be turning a corner around the 12th of July. We see the combined energy jump to 114 and then 160 on the Sunday afternoon, with a 3 ft swell from the NNW. That’s still on the small side, but the period is short, only 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak and crumbly. The standout window, and I mean the only one worth circling on the calendar, is the period around the 14th and 18th. On Tuesday morning the 14th, we’ve got a 4 ft swell from the NNW with a glassy surface and a light NE wind. That’s clean, but the 8-second period means you’ll be working for it, and it’s still kind of ordinary.

But, mark my words, the real highlight is Saturday the 18th. The afternoon session sees the combined swell energy spike right up to 396 – that’s a solid pulse of energy. We get a 4 ft swell from the NNW with an 11-second period. That’s proper longer-period groundswell energy, which gives the waves better shape and push. The wind is a cross-on from the NE at 10 km/h, so it'll have a little bump on it, but it’s manageable. It’s the best size and power we see in the whole 16 days. For a river mouth spot that’s fairly exposed to the NW, and with the optimum direction being NW, this 4 ft pulse is the one. Just keep in mind the waves can get a little straight at a beach or river mouth with that longer period, but the extra energy is a big plus. The small morning session on the 19th of July also has some glassy conditions and a 3 ft swell, but the real power is gone.

So overall, it’s a long wait, and when the surf does show up, it’s mostly for the intermediate crowd. That 4 ft on the 18th isn’t too big for a confident surfer, but it’s not a beginner wave. Remember, when the swell gets over 5 ft it gets challenging for learners, so anything smaller like this is fine for a wider range. The early stuff is really just for the die-hards who want a splash in warm, clean water. You gotta be patient with this one. The 18th of July afternoon is your best bet. Rusty out.

Read more