Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Chadbourne Gulch.

Honestly, mate, the next week or so is lookin’ pretty flat and uninspiring. We’ve got a solid stretch from Monday the 13th right through to Thursday the 24th where it’s all marginal stuff – barely enough energy to get excited about. You’ll see the combined swell energy numbers just chuggin’ along in the moderate range, mostly between 326 and 770 (moderate wave energy) during that first week, but the wind is almost always cross-on from the WNW. That’s no good for clean lines. The water sits at about 54°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so nothin’ to write home about there.

There’s a tiny glimmer on Monday the 20th afternoon – the wind goes glassy, which is a beautiful thing. Swell is only 3ft from the SW with a long 16-second period (a proper groundswell). It’s a small window, but if you’re desperate for a slide, that’s your best shot in the first two weeks. Keep in mind, Chadbourne Gulch is fairly consistent and handles a WSW swell best, so this SW direction is a bit off its angle.

Then things get a bit more interesting towards the end of the run. Friday the 24th afternoon looks like the real standout. The wind goes glassy again, you’ve got a 3ft swell from the S with a 15-second period, and the combined swell energy jumps to 1161 (strong wave energy). The surf report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – that’s a proper call-out. The swell is still small but with that long period and glassy conditions, it’ll be clean and have some punch. This is your go.

After that, we see a solid pulse of NW swell kicking in from Saturday the 25th morning right through to the 28th. Sizes hit 7ft to 10ft, with wave energy between 1473 and 1828 (strong to very strong wave energy). The period is only 9 seconds, so it’s a short-period windswell, which means lumpy, less organised waves. And at over 8ft, it’s strictly for the experts – beginners and intermediates should stay well clear. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, so it’s gonna be a bit of a battle. There is a moment on Monday the 28th afternoon when the wind goes glassy and the swell is 8ft, with the report calling it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – that’s a big, heavy, clean wave for the crew who can handle it. But honestly, that NW direction is not the optimum for this break (it prefers WSW), so the shape might be a bit close-outy.

So, bottom line: the best of the whole 16-day run is Friday the 24th afternoon. Glassy, long-period S swell at 3ft. That’s your session. The NW pulse at the end is big and powerful, but messy and not the right angle. If you’re a beginner, you’re basically waiting until the 24th for that small clean window.

Stay salty.
Rusty

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