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

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the Gold Beach/South Park/Hunter Creek stretch for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you—it’s not looking like a classic run. Most of this forecast is a tough slog, with a lot of onshore and cross-shore breeze messing up the waves. The water temp is sitting at 56° right now, which is about 2° below the average for this time of year. Nothing wild, just a bit on the cool side.

The whole first week is a real struggle. Thursday the 10th through Friday the 11th, we’ve got a long-period groundswell from the SW, around 2ft to 3ft with a period of 15 to 17 seconds, but the wind is relentless from the NNW, cross-on and choppy. The combined swell energy is moderate, hitting 481 to 817, but it’s all blown out. Saturday the 12th is a little better sized at 3ft, but the wind switches to a cross-shore and there’s rain showers, making it only marginal. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are back to poor conditions, with the swell dropping and the wind howling from the NNW. Monday afternoon gets a bit bigger at 4ft, but the period drops to a short 7 seconds, and it’s lumpy with a fresh cross-shore. Not worth paddling out.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th morning are still poor, but Wednesday afternoon finally shows a tiny glimmer—the wind goes glassy, a light WSW breeze, and the swell is a clean 2ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The combined energy is only 242, so it’s weak, but it’s the first time the conditions look clean. That’s a small window, but marginal.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are small and cross-shore again, with a long 21-second period but only 1ft to 2ft of swell. The energy is low (220 to 455), and it’s just not enough to get excited about. Saturday the 19th through Monday the 21st is a write-off—strong winds from the NNW and N, 18 to 25 mph, with messy cross-shore chop. The swell stays small, around 2ft to 3ft, and the energy is moderate at best, but it’s unsurfable.

Now, the standout, and I mean the only real standout in the whole 16 days, is Wednesday the 23rd and beyond. On Wednesday the 23rd, the morning shows a 5ft NW swell with an 11-second period, and the wind goes light from the WSW. The combined energy is solid at 711, so there’s some push. But the real gem is Wednesday afternoon: glassy conditions, 4ft from the NW, period 10 seconds, and the energy is 441. That’s clean, lined-up, and surfable. It’s not huge, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Thursday the 24th afternoon is also glassy, but smaller at 2ft, and the energy is weaker. Then Friday the 25th is the real winner—morning and afternoon are both glassy, with a 3ft swell from the WNW, a 12-second period, and the energy is 576 to 515. That’s clean, long-period groundswell, and with glassy conditions, Gold Beach will be offering some of the best waves of the entire outlook. The swell direction is coming from the WNW, which is a bit off the optimum W, but it’s still good.

For the most part, this stretch is a beach and reef setup, so on the bigger days like Wednesday the 23rd with 5ft, it’s fine for intermediates, but not for beginners. The long-period swells (over 15 seconds) on the 17th and 18th are too small to do much, but the 12-second period on the 25th is a nice sweet spot for this break. Crowds are often here, so expect company on the glassy days, especially the 25th.

If you’re a kite surfer, the days with strong cross-shore winds and 4ft+ swell, like Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 22nd, might look more interesting than a paddle session.

So, to wrap it up: the first two weeks are mostly a miss. The best window is Wednesday the 23rd afternoon through Friday the 25th, with Friday the 25th being the absolute standout with glassy, clean 3ft WNW swell. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

Read more