Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's shaping up for Chadbourne Gulch over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, let's be straight with you. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag for Chadbourne Gulch. We've got some swell around, but a lot of it comes with a cross-onshore wind that's just gonna mess things up. The water's sitting at about 55°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year.

We kick off on Monday the 17th with a bit of a nothing burger – a 3 ft SSW swell with a long 15-second period, but the wind's onshore and the conditions are just marginal. Tuesday the 18th is much the same story, with a light cross-onshore breeze messing with the surface. Wednesday the 19th is frustrating; we get a little bump in size in the afternoon to 6 ft, but it's from the NW with a short 7-second period and the wind is still cross-onshore. The energy is moderate at 842, but the quality just isn't there.

Thursday the 20th through to Saturday the 22nd morning is more of the same: small swell, cross-onshore wind. It's a real grind. The combined swell energy is in the moderate range, between 288 and 598, but it doesn't matter when the wind's junk.

Now, Saturday the 22nd afternoon is our first real standout. The wind goes glassy, and we get a 6 ft NW swell. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit bumpy and won't have the power of a groundswell, but with the glassy conditions, it'll be clean. It's on the bigger side, so maybe not one for the beginners, but for the experienced crew, that's the session to circle.

Sunday the 23rd stays on the bigger side with 5 ft to 5 ft NW swell and offshore wind, so the morning could be pretty fun. Then we get a lull. Monday the 24th through to Wednesday the 27th morning is pretty poor – tiny swells or onshore junk.

Thursday the 27th afternoon is a bit of a weird one. We get a 7 ft NW swell, but it's a short-period 7-second wave with a moderate 16 mph cross-onshore wind. That's going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. Honestly, with that wind and the short-period swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The tail end of the forecast gets interesting. Sunday the 30th afternoon is another standout. The wind goes glassy again, and we get a clean 4 ft SSW swell with a long 16-second period. That long period means better shaped waves and more energy, and the combined energy is a strong 856. That's a classic long-period groundswell, best for a point or reef, but with glassy conditions, it's going to be a beauty.

Monday the 1st of September has a bit more size in the afternoon with a 8 ft NW swell, but again, a short period and cross-onshore wind. It's just not clean.

So, to wrap it up: the best bets are Saturday the 22nd afternoon for the glassy conditions and a bit of size, and Sunday the 30th afternoon for the clean, long-period groundswell. Everything else is a bit of a write-off, with too much cross-onshore wind or just small, weak swell. It's not a classic run for this spot, but those two windows are worth keeping an eye on.

Rusty.

Read more