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

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Gold Beach.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a rough start. The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday are hammered by strong southerly winds and heavy rain, turning the ocean into a mess. The swell is there, about 6ft to 7ft, but it’s short-period, wind-affected junk. The water is a shocking 53°F, which is 5°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll need a thick suit.

Things start to look up on Friday, the 4th of September. We get a break in the weather. The morning is looking *clean* with light southeasterly winds and a 5ft swell from the WNW at a decent 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (953). This is the first real chance to get a wave in, but it won’t be mind-blowing.

The rest of the run into the second week is pretty bleak. From Saturday the 5th through to the 11th, we’re looking at small, weak swells with onshore winds. The heights drop to 1ft - 3ft, and while the periods get long (15-19 seconds), the wind is wrong, making it choppy and generally poor. There’s a lot of nothing here.

The true standout of the entire forecast is Saturday the 12th of September. The afternoon session at Gold Beach is looking special. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the NW (11 seconds) with light southerly winds going cross-offshore. The water will be clean, and the combined energy is a solid 740. This is your best bet for a proper session.

Right behind it, Sunday the 13th of September morning is also a gem. The wind will be glassy – absolutely dead calm – with a 3ft NW swell. It will be small, but glassy conditions make everything fun. The combined energy is low (349), but you can’t beat the clean surface.

After that, there’s a small window on Tuesday the 15th of September afternoon with another glassy period and a 4ft WNW swell (531 energy). That’s worth a look if you’re around.

The last few days of the forecast from the 16th onward get blown out again by strong northerly winds. The swell tries to build to 5ft, but the wind is howling at 19-28 mph, making it a complete mess. For the experienced crew, the 5ft swell on the 16th morning might have some push, but the wind will ruin it. Honestly, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to wrap it up: tough start, but Friday the 4th morning is a clean opener. The real highlight is Saturday the 12th of September afternoon. Sunday the 13th morning is the glassy, small-wave option. Everything else is a battle.

Rusty.

Read more