Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got Chadbourne Gulch as the only spot on the radar for the next 16 days, so we’re working with a single wave menu. The water’s sitting at 56°, which is within a degree of the long-term average for this time of year, so nothing weird there. The period kicks off with a bit of a slow start, but there’s a solid pulse coming through.

The first real action hits Sunday 2 August afternoon. The swell’s a chunky 12 ft from the NW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy’s a strong 2071. Problem is, that’s too big for this break – it’s a beginner spot, and 12 ft is well over the 8 ft expert-only mark. Not a day for a learner.

The standout window is Monday 3 August afternoon. The swell drops to a cleaner 7 ft from the NW, period stretches to 10 seconds, and the wind turns glassy offshore from the WSW. That’s a recipe for clean, lined-up waves. The energy’s still moderate at 880, and the break is fairly consistent, so you’ll get waves. The optimum swell direction is WSW, and this swell from the NW is close enough to work well here. Just keep in mind crowds are possible here.

Another one to circle is Saturday 8 August afternoon. Swell builds back to 8 ft from the NW, 9-second period, and again glassy offshore wind from the W. Energy’s up to 1070, meaning moderate-to-strong power. It’s a solid session for experienced surfers, but with 8 ft, it’s getting into the too-big-for-beginners zone.

Toward the end of the first week, Sunday 9 August morning and afternoon have 10 ft NW swell with 10-second periods, but again, it’s too big for this break. Energy’s massive at 3354 and 1911, but unless you’re a charger, give it a miss.

The second week fades. From Monday 10 August onward, the swell mostly sits between 5 ft and 8 ft, but winds are often cross-on or onshore, and the guidance calls it marginal. The only real glimmer is Tuesday 12 August afternoon with 6 ft NW swell, 8-second period, east wind glassing off, but the energy is lower at 1063. Not a standout.

By Thursday 13 August, winds pick up to 9 mph from the NW, cross-on, and the swell gets choppy. The longer-period SSW groundswell shows up from Saturday 15 August, with 3 ft swell and 16-17 second periods, but that’s a tiny wave with very long gaps – better for a point break or reef, not a beginner beach like this.

Overall, if you’re paddling out, aim for Monday 3 August afternoon for the cleanest, most user-friendly waves, and Saturday 8 August afternoon for a punchier session. The rest of the window is mostly marginal or too big. Didn’t see a kite-surfing note here, but with those bigger swells and cross-onshore winds, it’s definitely not a paddle-only day.

Rusty.

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