Surf Forecasts:
The Rivermouth surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 877 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Rivermouth this week:
The surf forecast for The Rivermouth over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Rivermouth in the next 16 days are 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Rivermouth over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
We've got a drawn-out, quiet spell ahead, so don't expect much. The Rivermouth is a sandbar setup that rarely breaks, and this run is no different. There's a consistent, long-period SSW groundswell that'll keep the energy up, but the wave heights will stay small, and the conditions will be all over the place. The water temperature is 62°F, which is a touch warmer than what's normal for this time of year.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday the 28th of August. The morning session is looking cleanest with glassy conditions and a light offshore wind. Swell is 3ft from the SSW with a period of 17 seconds, which is a long period groundswell. The energy is moderate at 535. This is a point break, so that long period should wrap in nicely. The afternoon cleans up again with a cross-offshore breeze and a 2ft SSW swell at 19 seconds. The energy is a bit stronger at 677.
Saturday the 29th of August afternoon is another one to look at. The wind goes cross-offshore, and the swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 16-second period. The energy is moderate at 681. The morning is a bit messy with a cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon is clean.
Monday the 31st of August is a standout. The morning is absolutely glassy with a 3ft SSW swell at 14 seconds. The energy is 448. This is the best chance for a clean, fun session at The Rivermouth. The afternoon is also clean with a cross-offshore breeze.
After that, it's a dry spell. The wind turns onshore or cross-shore for most of the next week, and conditions become poor. The swell stays small around 2ft to 3ft. There's a brief window on Thursday the 3rd of September morning with a 2ft SSW swell at 19 seconds and glassy conditions, but the energy is 466. It's worth a look if you're desperate.
The rest of the period into the second week is a write-off. The wind is consistently onshore or cross-shore, and the wave quality is poor. The energy drops off, and the swells are short and messy. This is a classic case of a spot that rarely breaks living up to its reputation.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 7 | SW 15 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 181 | 130 | 124 | 169 | 171 | 144 | 133 | 128 | 183 | 336 | 387 | 486 | 823 | 505 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 297 | 226 | 156 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross | off |
High Tide | 11:04AM1.28m | 9:08PM1.62m | 11:20AM1.29m | 9:49PM1.61m | 11:36AM1.32m | 10:29PM1.57m | 11:54AM1.36m | 11:10PM1.51m | 12:15PM1.43m | 11:54PM1.42m | 12:38PM1.51m | 00:42AM1.32m | 1:06PM1.58m | 1:38AM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:32PM0.85m | 4:12AM-0.07m | 4:05PM0.75m | 4:38AM-0.07m | 4:37PM0.64m | 5:03AM-0.03m | 5:11PM0.53m | 5:28AM0.06m | 5:47PM0.43m | 5:53AM0.19m | 6:27PM0.33m | 6:20AM0.35m | 7:14PM0.25m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 24 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | S 13 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 13 | WNW 7 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 14 | WNW 7 | SSW 19 | WNW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 181 | 87 | 124 | 169 | 171 | 131 | 94 | 59 | 183 | 108 | 387 | 99 | 823 | 505 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 297 | 226 | 156 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 15 | SSW 16 | S 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 12 | SSW 17 | S 10 | SSW 18 | WNW 7 | S 8 | WNW 8 | S 9 | S 9 | W 11 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 126 | 130 | 84 | 112 | 166 | 144 | 104 | 103 | 98 | 336 | 49 | 486 | 93 | 6 | 138 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 39 | 64 | 24 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 17 | W 16 | W 15 | W 13 | W 13 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | W 11 | W 10 | S 11 | SW 14 | S 9 | S 9 | — | — | W 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 9 | W 10 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 23 | 45 | 38 | 55 | 55 | 106 | 133 | 39 | 32 | 57 | 89 | 27 | 14 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 52 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | NW 4 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 6 |
| kJ | 37 | 24 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 189 | 76 | 128 | 183 | 188 | 109 | 189 | 139 | 173 | 248 | 138 | 193 | 178 | 142 | 93 | 56 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Rivermouth Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Rivermouth provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Rivermouth can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Rivermouth surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Rivermouth) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Rivermouth may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
The Rivermouth is 2 km (1 miles) from Santa Cruz. If you plan a vacation in Santa Cruz, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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