Chicken Run Bashams Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks at Chicken Run Bashams Beach.

Right off the bat, we've got a big, powerful, long-period SSW groundswell rolling in. The first few days are a bit of a mixed bag, though. We're looking at a solid run of surf, but the winds are all wrong, making things a bit of a struggle at this sheltered point. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing crazy to report there. The combined swell energy is strong, hitting 1389 on Tuesday morning, and it just keeps building.

Tuesday the 11th sees that first pulse at a clean 6ft, period a nice 14 seconds, but that cross-off wind is howling at 16 mph, not ideal for the lineup. It'll be a bumpy one. Wednesday the 12th gets properly big, with 10ft of 16-second groundswell, but that cross-shore wind messes up the face. You'll see some massive, powerful lines, but they'll be choppy and a chore to ride.

Thursday the 13th is probably the biggest of the initial push with 12ft swell in the morning and energy readings near 6000, but again, cross-shore winds from the west keep it from being clean. Look, the setup is so big and messy with these conditions that if you're into kite surfing, you might have a better time than on a paddle board. Things soften up on Friday and Saturday (14th & 15th), dropping to 8ft and 10ft, but the wind stays on it. Not great.

Sunday the 16th is a bit of a down day with 7ft swell, but note that. The real magic starts to show on Monday the 17th. The swell drops to a manageable 5ft, the period is still a juicy 14 seconds, and the wind swings to a lovely light cross-off from the east-northeast. The wave comment says "expect good surf conditions" – that’s the window.

But the standout of the whole run, the one that gets me fired up, is Tuesday the 18th. We've got 5ft of clean, long-period groundswell (18 seconds!), the wind is a light cross-off from the northeast keeping it glassy, and the comment is "expect very good surf conditions." This is your morning. The sets will be clean, full of energy, and longer between waves, which makes paddling out easy. It will be a bit of a straight-shooter for a beach break, but at a point break like this, those long lines will wrap in beautifully. The combined energy is a solid 1930, backing up the quality.

After that, the surf takes a big dip. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th drop right off to under 3ft, barely a ripple. There's a flicker of life on Thursday afternoon with a 4ft SSW swell and clean conditions, but it's a shadow of what came before.

Friday the 21st through Sunday the 23rd sees another pulse of swell, but it’s a poor one. The wind is onshore and strong, and with the combined energy climbing back up, it’s just going to be a wind-blown mess. By Sunday the 23rd, the period drops to a short 8-9 seconds, which makes for a weak, crumbly wave.

Then, into the next week (Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th), the swell builds again, but it's nothing huge. The best of the second week looks like Monday morning the 24th or Tuesday afternoon the 25th. Both have decent 3ft to 6ft swell with a long period (16-17 seconds), and with cross-off or light winds, it'll be clean and fun, just not as powerful as the first week's heart. The combined energy on Tuesday afternoon is 1868, which is still good, solid wave energy.

Best on Offer: Tuesday the 18th, hands down. That 5ft, 18-second SSW groundswell with light cross-off winds will be a proper session. If you can only pick one day, that's it.

Stay frothy,
Rusty

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