Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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