Caspar Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s on offer at Caspar Creek over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the outlook is a tough one. There’s waves in the water, sure, but the wind is a real problem. We’re looking at a solid run of cross-onshore conditions that are just making a mess of things. The surf starts out small, and the quality is poor right from the get-go. It’s a frustrating pattern, but it doesn’t last forever.

The first few days, from Thursday the 23rd through to Saturday the 26th, are a write-off for decent surfing. The swell is tiny, between 2ft and 4ft, and the wind is a constant cross-on, keeping everything choppy and ugly. The wave energy is weak at first, only hitting 40 (combined energy), but then you see a spike in the afternoon of Friday the 24th to a massive 964 (combined energy), which is a tease because the wind is still cross-on. That’s the kind of energy that’s just getting wasted on a messy surface.

We get a small window of slightly better potential around Sunday the 26th morning. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the SW with a long period of 19 seconds, and the energy is strong at 1251 (combined energy). But even then, the gentle cross-on breeze keeps it from being clean. It’s still marginal.

From Monday the 27th right through to the end of the first week and into the start of August, the swell gets bigger. We’re talking 7ft to 10ft of NW swell, plenty of energy in the water (hitting 1374 (combined energy) on the afternoon of Sunday the 2nd of August). But the wind remains a stubborn cross-on, mostly from the NW at 9 to 16 mph. For a sheltered spot like Caspar Creek, that’s just not good enough. The waves will be lumpy, choppy, and uninviting. Anything over 8ft is only for the experts anyway, but with this wind, it’s a tough paddle for anyone.

The best chance we get is right at the very end of the forecast. On the morning of Wednesday the 6th of August, the wind finally shifts to a light onshore from the W. The swell is a solid 7ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy is moderate at 882 (combined energy). We also see a similar setup on the morning of Wednesday the 5th of August, with a light WNW breeze, a 8ft NW swell, and 1115 (combined energy). These are the only times the wind lets up, turning the conditions from “poor” to “marginal.” If you can get out during those windows, you’ll find the most shape and the least chop. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

So, the standout is the window on the morning of August 5th or the morning of August 6th. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. The rest of the time, it’s a battle against the wind. Honestly, with that much cross-onshore wind and that much swell, the setup at Caspar Creek looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the period.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on that wind.

Rusty.

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