Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks. Only one spot to talk about, so let’s get into it.

The start of the window has a decent pulse of swell hitting Monday morning, but the early hours are a bit iffy. The real standout is Monday afternoon, August 3rd at Chadbourne Gulch. The morning has some clouds and a light offshore breeze, but the afternoon is where it’s at. The wind goes glassy, and that’s a rare treat. We’re looking at a 7ft swell out of the NW, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is 897 (moderate wave energy), nothing too wild, but it’s clean and the conditions are perfect for a good session. That glassy wind and a solid NW swell makes this the top pick of the whole forecast. Water temperature is 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

After that push, things get a bit average. Tuesday morning, August 4th, is a bit cross-on with the swell dropping to 6ft, but the afternoon glass-off brings back some fun 5ft waves. Not a standout, but it’s rideable. Wednesday, August 5th, is smaller, with 4ft in the morning and 4ft in the afternoon, and the glassy afternoon again is the better call. Energy is dropping off quick, down to 321 (weak) by Wednesday afternoon.

Then we hit a real dead spell. Thursday, August 6th, through to Friday, August 7th, is pretty poor. Swell drops to 2ft, the energy is below 200 (weak), and the period is all over the place. Nothing to get excited about there. You’d be better off staying home.

We start to see a bit of a pulse again on Saturday, August 8th. The swell bumps up to 6ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, both from the NW, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The wind is cross-on, so it’s not going to be super clean. The energy is back into three digits (1010-1014, moderate), but it’s still a bit messy. Sunday, August 9th, the swell builds further to 10ft in the afternoon, but that’s getting too big for this break. The guidance says it’s too big for the spot, so that’s more of a look-don’t-touch situation.

The rest of the second week is a mixed bag. Monday, August 10th, through Wednesday, August 12th, we see a lot of the same: 8ft to 12ft NW swells, all with a short 8-9 second period and cross-on winds. The swell is consistently too big for the break by the afternoons, and the energy is climbing into the 1300s and 1800s (strong to very strong). This is heavy-water stuff for the experts only, and the wind isn’t doing us any favors.

By Thursday, August 13th, the wind picks up to 12 mph, making it choppy. The swell is still 10ft, and it’s just not a fun call. The forecast then starts to fade. Friday, August 14th, the swell drops to 5-6ft, but the wind is onshore, so it’s not great.

Now, here’s a late bright spot. Saturday, August 15th, and Sunday, August 16th, both afternoons see a glass-off again. The swell is small, only 3ft, but it’s coming from the SSW with a very long period of 16-17 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (915-962), and the glassy conditions will make it look cleaner than the size suggests. This is a long-range call, so it’s promising but not yet locked in. It’s a good one for the log or a longboard.

Finally, Monday, August 17th, and Tuesday, August 18th, wrap it up. Monday sees a NW swell of 6-8ft with a short 7-second period and onshore winds. Not great. But Tuesday afternoon, August 18th, gives us one last glassy session with a 3ft WNW swell, a 13-second period, and energy of 866 (moderate). It’s small, but it’ll be clean.

Overall, the best day on offer is Monday afternoon, August 3rd. The glassy wind and a solid 7ft NW swell are the real deal. The late run on Saturday, August 15th, and Sunday, August 16th, is worth watching for the clean, long-period groundswell, even if it’s small. Stay patient, and don’t bother paddling out when the swell goes over 8ft – that’s expert territory only.

Rusty.

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