Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the outlook for Chadbourne Gulch. Let’s be honest right off the bat: this stretch of water isn't going to give us much to get excited about over the next couple of weeks. It's a beginner-friendly spot that's fairly consistent, but the quality just isn't there for most of the run.

The water temp is sitting right around 59°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We start off on Friday, September 11th, with some small SW groundswell at around 4ft. The period is a long 16 seconds, which is nice for shape and energy, but the morning has a light cross-offshore breeze, and the combined energy is moderate at 995. It’s really only marginal surf. The afternoon gets glassy with a 3 mph wind, but the swell drops to 3ft.

Saturday the 12th is even smaller and the winds turn more cross-onshore, making it choppy. Sunday the 13th is a write-off – poor conditions with a rising onshore breeze and a messy swell.

Monday the 14th morning sees the swell jump to 7ft, but it’s a short-period NW windswell at only 8 seconds. That kind of short period in the cross-onshore wind just doesn’t stack up. By the afternoon, it’s pushing 10ft, which is way too big for beginners and the conditions are only marginal. Not the wave you want.

The standout in the whole outlook hits on Tuesday the 15th afternoon. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and we get a clean 8ft NW swell. The combined energy is a solid 1629, so there is plenty of push. This is expert territory due to size, but with that glassy surface and an 8-second period, it’ll be powerful and fun for those with the skills. It’s the best on offer, and it’s a genuine window.

Wednesday the 16th brings another good session in the afternoon: glassy again, with a 5ft NW swell. It’s cleaner and more manageable, but not as powerful as Tuesday.

After that, the surf fades into a long, drawn-out period of small SW groundswells, mostly under 3ft. The winds are light but often cross-onshore, keeping the quality low. This run of poor surf lasts from the 17th all the way through to the 23rd. On the 23rd afternoon, a small NW windswell bumps up to 6ft, but with a pathetic 7-second period, it’s just not worth paddling out for.

The final days of the forecast get nasty. The 24th and 25th see strong NW winds blowing 19-25 mph, making a total mess of the 7ft to 10ft swells. The energy readings are high, around 1500-1630, but the wind is just too brutal. This setup would be far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: you’ve got one true window of excellent, glassy conditions on Tuesday the 15th afternoon for the experts, and a smaller but still clean session on Wednesday the 16th afternoon. Before and after that, it’s mostly a wasteland of marginal or poor surf. Don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

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