Waimea Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Waimea Rivermouth.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag ahead. The first few days are pretty average, not much to write home about. The real standout is looking like it’ll be Saturday, August 8th, with some solid, clean waves. The run-up to that is a bit of a grind, and after it, we settle back into smaller, though still rideable, conditions.

Thursday, July 30th, is a non-starter. We’re looking at a tiny 3ft south swell with a decent 13-second period, but the wind is a messy cross-on, and the combined energy is weak (302). It’s just poor. Friday, July 31st, sees a jump in size to 5ft, but it’s a short-period east windswell (7 seconds), so it’s gonna be a bit lumpy and disorganised. The wind is cross-off, keeping it clean, but it’s still a marginal call. The combined energy is moderate (537). Saturday, August 1st, the swell pushes up to 8ft from the east, but it’s still short-period (8 seconds) and the wind is up to 25 km/h. That’s a lot of chop for a beginner spot, and it looks like it’s more for the kite crew than us paddlers, even though the energy is strong (893). The afternoon drops right off to 1ft, so that morning window is the only shot.

Now, Sunday, August 2nd, things start to look up. We’ve got a solid 7ft east swell, 9-second period, and clean cross-off winds. The combined energy is strong (668) and the forecast is for very good surf. This is our first real green light. The wave height is pushing a bit big for beginners, though. Monday, August 3rd, is a nice follow-up with 4ft waves, clean conditions, and light winds. Good for a range of abilities.

We hit a flat, tiny spell from Tuesday, August 4th, through to Friday morning, August 7th. Swell drops to 1ft, and the energy is negligible (as low as 56). The wind goes glassy at times, but there’s just nothing to ride. This is a 4-day gap of no real surf.

Then we get to the main event. Saturday, August 8th. This is the one to circle. The morning brings a clean 6ft east swell, period of 7 seconds, with gentle offshore winds (ENE at 15 km/h). The combined energy is solid (535) and the forecast is for very good surf. It’s a bit of a short-period swell, but the size and clean conditions will make for some fun, punchy walls. The afternoon holds at 6ft with similar conditions. This is the best on offer by a long shot.

Sunday, August 9th, is also a real treat. The swell direction swings to the south, with a very long-period groundswell of 18 seconds pushing through at 2ft. The combined energy is strong (613) and the forecast is very good. This long-period energy will be clean and lined up, but with that long period, it might break a bit straight at the river mouth. Still, for a surfer who knows the bank, it’ll be a gem.

The second week of the outlook shows a mix. Monday, August 10th, has a 3ft south swell with a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, making it a bit jumbled. The energy is high (712), but the quality is marginal. Tuesday, August 11th, is glassy in the morning, with a 3ft south-southwest swell. That’s a fun, clean morning for a longboard. From Wednesday, August 12th, through to Friday, August 14th, we’re looking at smaller pulses (2ft to 2ft) with clean winds at times, but nothing that will blow your socks off. Thursday, August 13th, looks like the best of that late period, with a clean 2ft west swell.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are Sunday, August 2nd, for a solid, clean wave, and the real standout is Saturday, August 8th, for the best combination of size, clean conditions, and energy. The Sunday, August 9th, long-period south swell is a beautiful wave for the connoisseur. Crowds are “sometimes” a problem at the Rivermouth, so on those good days, expect company.

Rusty.

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