Chadbourne Gulch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for Chadbourne Gulch. This is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot exposed to a WSW swell, so it needs a decent south-west swell to get going. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing crazy to report.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things get interesting. The first real chance to paddle out comes on Tuesday, July 21st. The morning is the pick of the day. We’re looking at a solid 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds, so you’ll get these nice, long waits between sets, and the energy is moderate (617). The wind is glassy out of the west at just 3 mph, which is about as clean as it gets. That’s a real treat for Chadbourne. Expect very good surf conditions. The afternoon stays clean with light onshore winds and a 3ft swell, but the quality drops a notch.

Wednesday the 22nd through the rest of the week is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell stays small, around 3ft to 3ft, and the wind is mostly light cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bit bumpy. The energy is moderate (around 400-500). It’s not blown out, but it’s not the clean glass we saw on Tuesday. The highlight is the period on Friday the 24th, where the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW with a very long period of 24 seconds, and the energy jumps up to 1114. That’s a lot of push for a small wave, but the cross-onshore wind will keep it from being perfect.

The following week, from Saturday the 25th through to Thursday the 30th, the swell builds but the wind stays mostly moderate cross-onshore. The swell height holds around 3ft to 4ft from the SW, then shifts to a shorter-period NW windswell by the 29th. The energy levels are moderate to strong (1000-1700 range), but it’s going to be choppy. Not a standout period.

For the expert crew out there, the first week of August brings a serious pulse of NW swell. On Sunday, August 2nd, we’re looking at 10ft to 12ft NW swell. The wind is light and cross-onshore, but the set-up is clean. However, at this size, Chadbourne is going to be too big for beginners and only for experts. The energy is strong (2285 on the 2nd afternoon). The following Monday, August 3rd, holds 10ft NW swell with similar conditions. This is the big, powerful stuff, but be aware it’s a short-period swell (8-10 seconds), so it’ll be a bit walled up and dumpy at a beach break, which is what Chadbourne is. The standouts here are the mornings of Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd, where the light wind and considerable size will offer some heavy, powerful waves for the experienced surfer.

After that, the swell drops back down through the 4th and 5th of August, with 5ft to 7ft NW swell and light winds, but the energy drops off and the quality fades.

So, the best on offer? If you’re a beginner, get out Tuesday morning, July 21st. That glassy, long-period SSW groundswell is a rare treat. For the experts, the big NW swell on Sunday, August 2nd, and Monday, August 3rd, is the real deal, but only for those who know what they’re doing.

Rusty.

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