Harbor Entrance at Eureka Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for the Harbor Entrance at Eureka. The overall pattern is a lot of low-energy, poor-condition days, with a couple of interesting windows that might just be worth a look if you're keen and patient.

The first real chance to get wet is on the 20th of July. Monday afternoon will see a 5ft NW swell rolling in at 8 seconds, which is a short-period windswell. The water is a bit colder than normal right now at 54°, about a degree below what you’d expect for this time of year. The wind is light and cross-shore, so the surface could be okay, but the combined swell energy is only moderate (722). It’s not a standout, but it’s the first offering.

Things go pretty flat and poor after that. From the 21st of July through the 24th of July, the surf is small and the wind is messy. You’ve got a lot of cross-on wind and conditions that just aren’t cooperating. It’s a rough patch with no real recommendation.

Now, Friday the 24th of July has something interesting. The morning shows a tiny 2ft swell from the SW, but the period is a giant 24 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell. The energy jumps up to strong (522) in the morning, and then in the afternoon it hits 3ft with a whopping 1208 combined energy. The wind is light and offshore from the NW. This is a promising sign for a spot like this, but the tide or conditions have it flagged as marginal. That long period stuff can be tricky at a beach/harbor setup, but the offshore wind could make it clean. Keep an eye on it.

The 25th of July (Saturday) has a bigger but messy 4ft NNW swell in the morning with cross-on wind, so no dice. The afternoon sees a 3ft SW swell with a 21-second period and strong energy (1095), but again, the wind is cross-on. It’s a tease.

The standout window, and the one I’d call the best on offer, is looking like the 4th of August. Tuesday morning brings a solid 12ft NNW swell with a 10-second period and a massive 2304 combined energy. The wind is offshore from the NNW and light. That is a lot of power heading straight in. At over 8ft, this is strictly for experts. The crowd profile here says "sometimes," so with a big swell like that, expect a few souls out. This is a true big-wave day if you have the skills.

The 3rd of August (Monday) is also a big day leading into it, with 10ft NNW swell in the afternoon, but the wind is a moderate cross-on, which will chop it up. The 4th is the cleaner call.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is mostly a write-off. The best bet is to wait for the 24th of July for a potential clean, long-period session, or the 4th of August for the big, offshore groundswell—but that’s for the experienced crew only.

Rusty.

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