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

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks at Gold Beach/South Park/Hunter Creek. It’s a tough stretch ahead. This is a classic exposed beach-and-reef setup that can handle a decent swell, but the wind is gonna be a real problem for most of the period. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The pattern starts with a long, frustrating wait. From Wednesday the 29th of July all the way through to Monday the 3rd of August, we’ve got a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s ruining the shape. The swell is there, a solid groundswell from the SW running 3ft to 3ft with a very long 15 to 16-second period, but the wave energy is moderate (963 down to 250) and the wind is just chopping it up. It’s poor conditions, plain and simple. Not worth paddling out.

Things actually get a bit bigger through the first week of August, but it’s a mess. From Sunday the 2nd, the swell picks up to 5ft to 6ft, all from the NW, but the period drops to a short and weak 7 or 8 seconds. The wind turns cross-shore, and it’s howling—22 to 28 mph. That’s strong breeze territory, and the wave energy is moderate to strong (640 to 860), but it’s lumpy, cross-chop, and poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. The only flicker of hope comes on Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon, when the wind drops to a light breeze and the swell bumps up to 6ft from the NW. The wave comment calls it “marginal,” and with a score of 1 it’s not a standout, but it’s the cleanest window we get. The period is still short (8 seconds), so the waves will be a bit fat and dumpy, but if you’re desperate, that’s your moment.

Into the second week, the pattern doesn’t improve. From Thursday the 6th to Saturday the 8th, it’s back to those cross-onshore winds and 5ft to 6ft NW swell, all poor conditions. The energy is moderate (462 to 636). Then Sunday the 9th of August morning sees the swell hit 7ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds, and the wave energy gets strong (1147). That’s a big, powerful wave, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy. That’s expert-only territory—over 8ft is my usual warning, but 7ft with a messy cross-wind is still a handful for anyone but the best. The marginal call and a score of 1 for that morning and the following Monday morning (10th of August) are the only other times the score goes above zero, but the wind is still cross-onshore, and the shape is compromised.

The final few days—Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th of August—are a repeat of the same story: short-period, cross-shore or cross-onshore winds, and poor conditions. The swell stays around 5ft to 6ft, but the energy is moderate (550 to 677) and the wind is too strong.

So, what’s the bottom line? There’s only one real standout, and it’s not a classic. Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon is the best on offer. You’ll get a 6ft swell from the NW with a light breeze, making it the cleanest it’s going to get. The swell is a bit short in period (8 seconds) and the setup is a beach-and-reef, so it might be a bit close-out, but it’s the only window where the wind isn’t ruining the party. The rest of the 16 days? A lot of waiting, a lot of wind, and a lot of poor surf. If you’re a wave hog, you might find a few lumpy runners, but for the average surfer, it’s a long stretch of “look but don’t paddle.”

Rusty.

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