
Surf Forecasts:
Chadbourne Gulch surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,907 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Chadbourne Gulch this week:
The surf forecast for Chadbourne Gulch over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 18s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chadbourne Gulch in the next 16 days are 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 13s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chadbourne Gulch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking at Chadbourne Gulch.
Right off the bat, the water is way warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at 60°F with a 4°F anomaly. That's a solid few degrees above normal, so the cold water worries are off the table for a bit.
We've got a bit of a slow start with some small, short-period swell and cross-onshore winds through Tuesday and Wednesday. It's not going to be worth paddling out for. The combined energy is moderate (1100) but the wind is just messing it up. Thursday morning looks even weaker, with energy dropping to 841. Thursday afternoon sees a little more energy (1010) and lighter wind, but it's still messy.
Now, Friday afternoon is where things get interesting, but it's a bit of a trap. The swell jumps to 7ft from the NW, but the period is a short 7 seconds. That's a lot of lumpy, wind-slop energy (803) and it's still coming from the wrong direction with cross-onshore wind. Not great for a clean wave.
Saturday is a write-off. The swell is big (12ft) and the wind is strong (19 mph) from the NW, creating a total mess. The energy is huge (1576) but it's pure chop. Honestly, this looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing one.
The real standout is Monday, August 3rd. The morning is still a bit iffy, but the afternoon session is the pick of the whole 16-day run. The wind drops to glassy, and we get a solid 8ft NW groundswell with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy hits 2100, which is strong. The water will be glassy, and the waves will have some real power. This is for experienced surfers though – that 8ft is pushing into expert territory, especially with the long period making it dumpy on the beach break. The offshore wind direction is WSW, which is a good match for the optimum at this break.
After that, we have a run of good conditions. Tuesday, August 4th afternoon goes glassy again with 8ft swell (1303 energy). Wednesday, August 5th afternoon is glassy with 7ft (696 energy). Saturday, August 8th afternoon goes glassy with 8ft (934 energy). These are all solid, clean sessions for those who can handle the size.
The second week keeps the NW swell alive, but it's a bit more inconsistent. The mornings are mostly cross-onshore, but the afternoons often glass off. The best of the late run is on Monday, August 10th afternoon with 8ft and glassy conditions, and Tuesday, August 11th afternoon with 8ft and light onshore winds. The wave energy is still strong, but it's a bit less certain this far out.
So, to wrap it up: the absolute best session is Monday, August 3rd afternoon. Grab your board and get out there. The secondary standout is Tuesday, August 4th afternoon. Don't bother with the first few days or the weekend of the 1st.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the NW by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | NW 7 | SSW 14 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
932 | 1081 | 789 | 545 | 627 | 441 | 372 | 527 | 296 | 301 | 466 | 344 | 535 | 1338 | 789 | 1182 | 1907 | 1328 | 885 | 1150 | 1124 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 12:36PM1.30m | 11:02PM1.86m | 1:03PM1.34m | 11:39PM1.85m | 1:30PM1.40m | 00:16AM1.80m | 1:57PM1.46m | 00:56AM1.71m | 2:24PM1.52m | 1:39AM1.59m | 2:53PM1.58m | 2:29AM1.44m | 3:24PM1.65m | 3:30AM1.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:49PM0.87m | 6:05AM-0.14m | 5:29PM0.82m | 6:35AM-0.13m | 6:11PM0.77m | 7:04AM-0.09m | 6:54PM0.72m | 7:33AM-0.00m | 7:41PM0.66m | 8:03AM0.12m | 8:34PM0.58m | 8:33AM0.27m | 9:33PM0.49m | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
— | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 13 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 |
932 | 1081 | 789 | 545 | 627 | 441 | 372 | 527 | 214 | 301 | 236 | 136 | 184 | 123 | 103 | 69 | 45 | 44 | 885 | 866 | 730 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 20 | S 18 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | SE 13 | S 15 | SSE 15 | S 14 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 |
56 | 52 | 119 | 224 | 221 | 290 | 183 | 7 | 159 | 71 | 101 | 93 | 134 | 100 | 100 | 75 | 70 | 23 | 66 | 43 | 40 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | — | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSE 14 | SSE 18 | SSE 15 | — | — | S 16 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 12 |
8 | — | 34 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 30 | 46 | — | — | 47 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 49 | 49 | 43 | 41 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | — | NW 9 | NW 9 |
104 | 414 | 200 | 276 | 614 | 396 | 266 | 453 | 296 | 204 | 466 | 344 | 535 | 1338 | 789 | 1182 | 1907 | 1328 | — | 1150 | 1124 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 230 | 333 | 5 | 212 | 332 | 0 | 230 | 332 | 0 | 159 | 333 | 0 | 212 | 332 | 25 | 159 | 333 | 50 | 185 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Mendocino County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Chadbourne Gulch Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Chadbourne Gulch provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Chadbourne Gulch can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Chadbourne Gulch surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Chadbourne Gulch) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Chadbourne Gulch may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Chadbourne Gulch is 71 km (44 miles) from Ukiah. If you plan a vacation in Mendocino County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ukiah. Ukiah has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










