Caspar Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – we’ve got a long stretch ahead, and it’s not looking pretty for the most part. The only game in town is Caspar Creek, and it’s a sheltered spot that’s consistent, but the wind is almost always a problem. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

We start off Friday, August 14th, with poor surf. A weak, short-period 4ft NW swell and a light onshore wind from the WNW keep things messy. The combined energy is weak (143). There’s no improvement through the weekend or into next week. We’re looking at a solid stretch of poor conditions with cross-onshore winds and choppy, bumpy waves. The swell sticks from the NW, hovering around 3ft to 5ft, with periods of 6 to 7 seconds. The combined energy stays in the low to moderate range (91 to 247). This is not what you want to paddle out into.

By Tuesday, August 18th, the swell bumps up to 5ft to 7ft, and the energy climbs to 271 and then 536, but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. The poor surf continues day after day. Wednesday, August 19th, peaks with a 7ft to 5ft NW swell and energy up to 984, but it’s still bumpy. This is more of a windsurf or kite-ski kind of setup – if you’re into that, go for it, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off.

There’s a slight shift on Thursday, August 20th, when the swell direction swings to the WNW and the period lengthens to 11-12 seconds, giving us a bit more groundswell character. The height drops to 3ft but the energy is still moderate (303 to 367). The wind stays cross-onshore, so it’s still poor. That run continues through Friday, August 21st, with similar conditions.

Things get a little bigger on the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd. The swell jumps to 7ft to 8ft from the NW, with periods of 7 to 8 seconds. The energy is strong (541 to 960). But the wind is still cross-onshore, and at 8ft with that short period, this is straight-up messy and too big for beginners. It’s only for experienced surfers, and even then, the conditions are poor.

On Monday, August 24th, the swell remains 8ft to 8ft, with energy around 853. The wind is a light breeze, but it’s still cross-onshore, so you get light cross-onshore ripples. It’s poor surf. Tuesday, August 25th, finally shows a glimmer of hope – the forecast calls for “marginal surf” with a score of 1, and the wind switches to a cross-shore from the NNW in the afternoon. The swell is 6ft from the NW with an 8-second period, and energy is moderate (635 to 647). It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s still only marginal. The crowd is listed as “often,” so you won’t be alone.

After that, it’s back to poor surf from Wednesday, August 26th, through Saturday, August 29th. The swell drops to 4ft to 3ft by the end, with energy falling to 95. The wind stays cross-onshore. Nothing to get excited about.

Best on offer: If you’re desperate, Tuesday, August 25th, is the only day with a hint of ridable surf – a cross-shore wind and 6ft NW swell. It’s marginal, but it’s the pick of the litter. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s poor conditions. On the bigger days (over 8ft), it’s expert-only, and with the constant cross-onshore wind, it’s more of a kiting show than a surfing one.

– Rusty

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