Big Sur Rivermouth Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Ideal Surf Conditions
Swell Direction
W, NW, S
Wind
E, NW or glassy
Surf Height
small to double overhead
Tide
Incoming to medium
Big Sur Rivermouth Surf Guide
During the rainiest of seasons in Santa Cruz the San Lorenzo River roars out like the Amazon at flood tide and forms a sandbar at the mouth on the east end of Boardwalk Beach. When the Rivermouth has a great sandbar, it is a little gift from God, a perfect right and left with no kelp or rocks and an easy paddle from the beach.The El Nino winter of 1982/'83 was the hallmark year for the Rivermouth when a mammoth sandbar formed after the torrential rains and stayed well into the summer. Surfers have perfect 6-foot Rivermouth in July. An epic summer that will probably never be repeated.Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to happen as much as it used to. Not even the torrential rains of the El Nino and La Nina winters could produce the sandbars they might have in the past, but that doesn't mean the spot is dead. If you pull into Santa Cruz in the middle of a monsoon, check out the Rivermouth.
Ability Level
All Abilities
beginner to Josh Loya
Local Vibe
Doable
Not bad.
Crowd Factor
Moderate
Crowded when it's good, especially after school
Spot Rating
Perfect
Quite good.
Shoulder Burn
Medium
Moderate.
Water Quality
Dirty
Very high. The San Lorenzo River is toxic.
Hazards
Diseases from the San Lorenzo River. Crowds. Longboarders.
Bring Your
Shortboard, Funboard, Longboard, Fish
Access
Parking up top.
Bottom
Sand
Best Season
Year-round
Do you have local knowledge about Big Sur Rivermouth?
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