Waimea Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's on the menu for Waimea Rivermouth over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, it's a slow start, but patience is gonna pay off. We've got a few small, clean days to ease into it, but the real juice is building for the first week of August. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

Tuesday, 28 July kicks off with tiny 2ft swell from the South, period around 14 seconds – that's a long-period groundswell, but it's just not got the size. Tuesday morning is glassy, which is a treat, but the energy is weak (146). The afternoon stays clean with a light breeze, but still small. Don't get too excited yet.

Wednesday, 29 July is a step up. Morning glass again with 2ft S swell, period 14 seconds – still a groundswell, and the energy is moving into moderate territory (206). The report says "expect good surf conditions," and it's hard to argue with a glassy morning. The afternoon turns cross-off with a bit more breeze, but still clean.

Thursday, 30 July is a write-off. The wind swings onshore and we get choppy, poor conditions. Skip it.

Friday, 31 July is a mixed bag. The morning stays small (2ft, 12 seconds) with a cross-off breeze, but it's marginal. Then the afternoon throws a curveball: a sudden jump to 6ft from the East, but with a short period of 7 seconds. That's a windswell, and the energy ramps up to strong (558), but the quality is questionable. Keep an eye on it, but don't plan your day around it.

Saturday, 1 August morning has a 7ft East swell, but still short period (8 seconds) and strong energy (736). The report calls it marginal. The afternoon drops off to nothing. Not the day.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Sunday, 2 August is the first real standout. We've got 6ft of East swell, period 8 seconds, with clean cross-off winds and moderate energy (507). The report says "expect very good surf conditions." This is the one to circle. The crowd factor is "sometimes" here, so you might have some company, but with that size and clean conditions, it'll be worth it.

Monday, 3 August holds solid with 5ft East swell, still clean and cross-off. Good, consistent waves.

Tuesday, 4 August is the second standout. The morning is a solid 4ft, but the afternoon is where it's at: 5ft from the East with a period jumping to 12 seconds – that's a proper groundswell. The energy is very strong (766), and the report says "expect very good surf conditions." Light breeze, glassy-ish. This is a top pick.

From Wednesday, 5 August through Saturday, 8 August, we've got a solid run of East swell between 5ft and 7ft, but the period drops to 6-8 seconds, so it's more of a windswell. The winds stay cross-off and clean, so it'll be rideable, but not the same quality as the 4th. Friday, 7 August afternoon and Saturday, 8 August morning both have 7ft East swell, 8 seconds, with very strong energy (719 and 730) and "very good" ratings. That's expert territory for size, but if you've got the skills, go for it. Crowds are likely.

Sunday, 9 August is a shift. The morning is still 6ft East, but the afternoon totally changes to a 2ft South swell with a monster 18-second period. That's a very long-period groundswell, and the energy is still strong (357). This is a point-break kind of wave – it'll be clean and lined up, but the size is small.

The final few days, Monday, 10 August through Wednesday, 12 August, settle into a lovely pattern. We get 3ft to 4ft South swell with periods of 15-16 seconds – classic long-period groundswell. The winds are light cross-off, and the energy stays moderate to strong (460 to 689). The reports are all "good" to "very good." This is the sweet spot for a fun, clean, longboard-to-funboard session. The long period will make the sets a bit fat at this river mouth, but the conditions are pristine.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is Sunday, 2 August for the first solid East swell, and Tuesday, 4 August afternoon for the quality groundswell. The final run from 10-12 August is a close third for pure, clean, mellow fun. The mid-week from 5-8 August has size for the experts but is a bit junky. Get out there and grab some.

Rusty.

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