.jpg){kind=link}
The Rivermouth
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 10 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,168kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,130kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 595kJ
- Wind
- W 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,598kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,281kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 708kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,155kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 343, poor
- Wed 468, good
- Thu 529, too small
- Fri 674, good
- Sat 775, good
- Sun 854, fair
- Mon 977, good
- Tue 1072, good
- Wed 1157, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
The Rivermouth does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 43, poor | 7 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,168kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 68, good | 8 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,130kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 29, too small | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 595kJ | wind from the west, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 74, good | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,598kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 75, good | 10 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,281kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 54, fair | 7 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 708kJ | offshorewind from the north, 2 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 77, good | 10 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,155kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 72, good | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,241kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 57, fair | 9 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,434kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 19°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:08 +0.6 mLow 12:00 −0.3 mHigh 17:40 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:08 −0.8 mHigh 06:46 +0.7 mLow 13:01 −0.5 mHigh 18:54 +0.5 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 00:56 −0.6 mHigh 07:21 +0.8 mLow 13:54 −0.7 mHigh 19:59 +0.4 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
The Rivermouth on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of The Rivermouth
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
More surf near here
5 places
- Harbor mouth 1 km away
- Cowells cove 1.1 km away
- Murph Bar 1.1 km away
- Steamer Lane 1.6 km away
- Blacks 1.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Rivermouth
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (176°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (356°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 800 m out (1 in 79). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Santa Cruz, 2 km away (4 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 15 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$537 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,170 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
4 min by car · 84 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Santa Cruz its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Live Oak on Booking.com
7 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Capitola on Booking.com
10 min by car · 23 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SJC, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → SJC on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.