Gold Beach/South Park/Hunter Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, this one’s gonna be a real test of patience.

We’re starting from now and it’s a long, quiet grind for the most part. The swell is small and the wind’s working against us. The best of what little there is comes in the first few days, but even that’s nothing to write home about. After a brief glimpse of something better right at the end, we’re back into messy stuff.

Gold Beach/South Park/Hunter Creek (beach and reef) is the only option, so we’re stuck with it. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but that doesn’t mean much when the conditions are poor.

Monday 24th, afternoon: A tiny 2 ft SW swell trundling in with a very long 18-second period. It’s weak energy (348), and the wind is a light cross-onshore. Marginal, at best.

Tuesday 25th: Morning is a write-off. The afternoon, though, gets a glassy finish. A 2 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and that flat, glassy wind. That’s about as good as it gets in this stretch. It’s still small and weak (357), but clean.

Wednesday 26th: Another glassy window in the afternoon, with a 2 ft SW swell (265 energy). Clean again, but tiny.

Thursday 27th onwards: From here, it’s a long stretch of poor surf. The wind swings around to the NNW and starts to blow. By Friday 28th, we’ve got fresh cross-onshore winds up to 19 mph and choppy, lumpy conditions. That runs solidly through to the end of August and into the first few days of September. The energy picks up a bit, with values like 526 and 483, but that’s just more messy, windblown chop.

Saturday 5th September afternoon: Now this is interesting, and it’s the one standout in the whole outlook. The wind goes glassy again, and we see a 5 ft swell from the NW. The period is a short 9 seconds, so it’s a wind swell, but the combined energy is strong (605). The glassy conditions will make it look a lot better than it sounds. This is the pick of the entire 16-day window. For a spot that’s usually a bit exposed, getting that clean, glassy surface on a 5 ft swell is a real treat.

Sunday 6th September: A 5 ft NW swell with a light offshore wind in the morning, and then a 6 ft NW swell in the afternoon. But that period is only 8 seconds. That short period, combined with the beach and reef setup, means it’s going to be a bit fat and maybe better suited for a different kind of board. The wind goes cross-onshore in the afternoon, so the morning looks like a better bet.

Monday 7th September onwards: Back to the bad stuff. Strong winds, messy cross-chop, and the surf looks pretty average until the end of the forecast.

So, to cut a long story short: the best bet is the glassy, 5 ft NW swell on Saturday afternoon, September 5th. It’s clean, has some energy (605), and it’s the only time the stars align. The other tiny windows on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th afternoon are okay if you’re desperate for a paddle, but the 5th is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a long way off, so don’t hold your breath, but it’s the only real light in the tunnel.

Rusty.

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