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

Alright, Rusty here, giving you the lowdown on Gold Beach. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, this 16-day stretch is a rough one. There's not a single standout session in the lot. We're stuck in a pattern of poor surf, with cross and cross-onshore winds making a mess of everything.

The water sits at 54°, which is a bit cooler than usual for this time of year, so you'll want a thicker wetsuit.

The first day, Wednesday, August 19th, is a total bust. You've got a 3ft west swell, but a moderate cross-onshore wind at 25 km/h turns it into a choppy, ugly mess. The wave energy is weak (438), so there's just nothing to ride.

Thursday the 20th is only slightly better. The swell nudges up to 4ft from the WNW, and the wind drops to a light breeze at 10 km/h, but it's still cross-onshore. You'll get a small, wind-rippled surface. The energy is moderate (534), but it's a "marginal" call at best.

Friday the 21st offers a long-period 14-second swell from the SW, but it's a tiny 2ft. The energy is weak (306), and the wind is light but still cross-onshore. Saturday the 22nd is a write-off.

The coming week is a repeat of the same. From Sunday the 23rd onward, the wind is a constant problem from the NNW, at 15 to 40 km/h, keeping the water lumpy and messy. Swell heights are pitiful, mostly 2ft to 2ft, with a brief blip of 4ft to 5ft of weak windswell on Sunday and Monday the 24th-25th. That comes with strong cross-shore winds, making it a total blown-out mess. The period on those days is a short 7 seconds, so it's all junky, weak energy.

The energy reading on the 23rd afternoon with the 5ft swell is 462, which is moderate, but it's all wind-driven chop. Then on Monday the 24th, we get a couple of long-period 18-second swells, but they are tiny at 2ft and 2ft. The long period is a nice idea, but with no size and bad wind, it's just a cruel tease.

The start of September is more of the same. More wind, tiny swells, poor conditions. The only late flicker is on Thursday, September 3rd, when the swell finally hits 5ft from the NW, the biggest in the whole run, and the energy hits a moderate 564. But it's still a cross-onshore wind, so it's going to be a choppy, messy, and poor quality surf.

To be blunt, there isn't a single session in this whole 16-day window that I'd recommend paddling out for. The combination of small, weak swells and relentless cross and onshore winds is a recipe for frustration. This is one of those classic "stay home and clean your board" runs for Gold Beach. For anyone looking for a thrill, with the constant wind and consistent chop, this setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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