Waimea Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's look at what's coming up for Waimea Rivermouth. It's a bit of a slow start, but there's a solid run of clean swell to look forward to later on.

Right now, the surf is pretty ordinary. We've got some south swell pushing in at 6 ft but the wind is onshore from the SW at 9 mph, making for poor conditions. The combined swell energy is moderate though, sitting at 847. It's not worth paddling out for.

Wednesday and Thursday will be small but clean. Wednesday morning starts with a 3 ft south-southwest swell and a long period of 14 seconds, but a light cross-onshore breeze. By Wednesday afternoon, the wind turns glassy and the swell drops to 2 ft from the SSW with a 13 second period. The water temp is a warm 80°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. Thursday is similar, with glassy conditions in the morning and a tiny 2 ft SSW swell. Good for a beginner session on a longboard, but nothing exciting.

Friday the 11th brings a small bump up to 4 ft, but it's from the east with a short period of just 7 seconds, so it won't have much push. From Saturday the 12th right through to Tuesday the 17th of September, the swell stays small, mostly between 1 ft and 2 ft, but what’s good is the wind is often glassy or light cross-offshore. The combined energy is low to moderate, bottoming out around 60 on the 13th. Still, with clean conditions, it’s rideable for the learners.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is from Wednesday the 18th of September through Saturday the 21st. The swell picks up to 3 ft from the SSW, with a 15-17 second period – that’s proper groundswell. Combined wave energy climbs into the strong range, hitting 742 on Friday morning. The wind is clean every day, either glassy or light cross-offshore. This is the best run of the whole outlook. This size and period will work nicely at the rivermouth, offering clean, lined-up waves. It's rated for beginners and is fairly consistent, but remember it can get crowded here sometimes. Saturday the 21st still sees good energy at 394 and glassy conditions.

The last few days of the forecast, from the 22nd, it fades back to small, poor surf with onshore wind. The east swell on the 23rd at 3 ft has a short 8 second period, so no real quality there.

So, if you've got some flexibility, hold out for the 18th through 21st. That's the time to be at Waimea Rivermouth.

- Rusty

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