Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next stretch for Chadbourne Gulch. Straight up, this isn’t going to be a week of glory. The wind is mostly cross-onshore and the surf quality is getting knocked around by that. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild there.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Wednesday the 22nd of July, but it’s a tough start. We’ve got a 5ft south swell, with a period of 10 seconds, pumping out moderate energy (815). The problem is the 12 mph southwest wind making it choppy and messy. That’s a pass for me. The afternoon eases a bit with a 5ft swell and lighter wind, but it’s still cross-onshore and marginal.

Thursday the 23rd drops right off. Swell drops to 3ft and the wind is still cross-onshore. It’s a write-off.

Friday the 24th is still small, but the morning has a long-period 24-second groundswell from the southwest, with energy (704). That’s a long period, which means better shape but longer lulls. The swell is only 2ft, and the wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s just about surfable for a beginner on a log. The afternoon picks up a bit to 3ft with more energy (1038), but the wind picks up to 9 mph and gets choppy.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are a frustrating repeat: waist-high swell (3ft to 4ft) with long periods (19-21 seconds) and moderate to strong energy (1220 to 1454), but the wind stays cross-onshore. It’s a tease. The waves have push, but the surface is chopped up.

The pattern holds through the end of July and into the first days of August. Swell hangs around 3ft to 4ft with moderate energy, but the wind stays cross-onshore. It’s marginal, not inspiring.

Now, the standout window, and I mean the only real standout, appears on Saturday the 2nd of August. The morning brings a 7ft northwest swell, period 8 seconds, with strong energy (1136) and light cross-onshore breeze. That’s decent. But the afternoon is the best of the whole run. The wind shifts to 3 mph from the west, going on – that’s offshore – and the swell holds at 7ft from the northwest. That’s clean. That’s your window. It’s a bit punchy for beginners, but for anyone comfortable in chest-high waves, that afternoon session is the only one that looks proper.

Monday the 3rd of August also has a moment: morning has 7ft waves with onshore wind, but the afternoon jumps to 8ft from the northwest, with very strong energy (2047). That’s big, and at 8ft it’s expert territory. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but the power is there.

After that, it tapers off. The 4th and 5th of August still have some size (5ft to 7ft), but the wind is cross-onshore and the quality drops off. The 6th of August fades to 5ft with onshore wind.

The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at this break, so you might have some company on the best days, but it won’t be a zoo.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is the afternoon of Saturday the 2nd of August – clean offshore wind, solid 7ft swell, and real energy. The afternoon of Monday the 3rd of August is a close second if you’re chasing bigger, more powerful waves, but it’s rougher. For the rest of the run, it’s mostly a case of waiting for a shift in the wind.

Rusty.

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