Waimea Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, settle in. Rusty here, and we’ve got one spot on the map for the next two weeks. It’s a classic that’s about to string together a run of clean, friendly waves. The setup is consistent, so let’s break it down.

The overall picture is a long stretch of rideable surf at Waimea Rivermouth, with plenty of clean conditions thanks to light, often offshore or glassy breezes. The water temp is right where it should be for this time of year, nothing wild.

We kick off this Friday, 28 August, with a clean 3ft south swell wrapping in. The wind is a light cross-off from the ENE, keeping the surface clean. The combined energy is moderate at 442, and with a 15-second period, this is proper groundswell, meaning long, lined-up waves. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so a great one for the crew. Heads up, crowds are possible.

Saturday morning the 29th is more of the same, clean and around 2ft. By Saturday afternoon, the swell jumps to 6ft but the period drops to 6 seconds, and the direction swings east. That’s messy, short-period wind swell, and the quality is marginal. Sunday the 30th stays similar with 6ft east swell and a short 7-second period, energy is moderate at 541. It’s surfable, but not great.

Monday the 31st brings a reset. The morning sees a clean 2ft south-southwest groundswell with a 15-second period and light cross-off wind. The afternoon bumps back to 6ft east swell, but it’s still clean. Then Tuesday, 1 September, is a standout. The morning is glassy, dead calm, with a 2ft south swell at an 18-second period. That’s a very long period groundswell, meaning heaps of energy and shape, but at a river mouth, it might run a little straight. The energy is moderate at 368. It’s a beautiful, clean morning for a longboard.

Wednesday the 2nd through Friday the 4th of September sees consistent 3ft to 5ft south and east swells, all with light winds and mostly clean conditions. The period drops to 8-9 seconds on the east swells, but it’s still fun. Thursday afternoon the 3rd and Friday afternoon the 4th are both glassy, so those are the pick of those days.

The real standout, no question, is Sunday, 6 September. The afternoon delivers a 5ft east swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 1110 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is glassy, and the conditions are rated as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle. At 5ft, it’s got some punch, but it’s not too big for a confident intermediate.

Then Monday, 7 September, is another cracker. Glassy conditions all day with a 3ft south-southwest swell at 16-17 seconds. The energy is strong at 858 and 889. This is a beautiful, clean groundswell. Tuesday the 8th is also glassy with a 3ft south-southwest swell.

The second week starts to fade. Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th have smaller 2ft to 3ft south-southwest swells with light cross-on winds, making it ordinary. Friday the 11th is poor, with only 2ft swell and very low energy. The season ends on Saturday, 12 September, with a final glassy morning and a 6ft east swell at a 10-second period, energy at 689 – a solid, clean finish.

The best bets are the glassy sessions on 1 September and the standouts on 6 and 7 September. Don’t miss that Sunday the 6th.

Rusty.

Read more