Harbor Entrance at Eureka Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking like a proper mixed bag. For the first handful of days, the wind is going to be the main issue, so don’t expect any standouts there at all. Things don't really get interesting until the second week, when the energy really starts to ramp up.

Right now, through the early part of this week, we’ve got consistent NW swell coming through at Harbor Entrance at Eureka (Humboldt), but it’s all blown out by a cross-onshore breeze. Monday morning the swell is 6ft from the NW with a short period of 8 seconds, and heaps of chop thanks to that wind. The combined energy is sitting at 572, but the quality is just not there for a good surf. Tuesday and Wednesday see the swell size creep up a bit, hitting around 7ft to 7ft, but again, that onshore wind kills the potential. The one highlight is Wednesday morning when the wind goes offshore, but the swell is 5ft from the NW with an 8-second period, and the conditions are described as "unknown" – a bit of a gamble. I’d leave the board on the car for those sessions.

Thursday the swell backs off a little to 6ft, but we still have that light cross-onshore wind making it bumpy. Friday the 18th is a real drop-off – swell bottoms out to 2ft from the SW with a very long period of 19 seconds. That kind of period at a beach/harbormouth setup like this can be tricky; it might break too straight for any decent shape. Energy is low too at 471.

The weekend, the 19th and 20th, is flat with tiny SW swell holding around 2ft to 3ft. It’s marginal at best, and not worth getting wet for unless you’re really desperate.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Starting Monday the 21st, we see a serious spike. That NW swell jumps back up to 7ft Monday morning, and the energy shoots up to 875. It builds all day, hitting 8ft by the afternoon with an energy of 1383. The wind is still cross-onshore, but it’s light, so the chop isn’t too bad. This is the first proper standout. The direction is exactly from the optimum NW, and while it’s not glassy, it’s the best combination of size and energy we’ve seen. Tuesday the 22nd is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. The morning sees 8ft from the NW with a 9-second period, and an energy of 1423. The afternoon is even bigger, at 7ft from the NNW, but the energy hits 1652 – the highest of the entire run. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but this is solid, powerful surf. At that size, over 8ft, it’s strictly for experts. If you are a beginner, stay well clear.

After that peak, things settle down. Wednesday the 23rd is still okay, with 6ft from the NW and light cross-shore wind. The energy drops back to the low 500s. Thursday the 24th fades to 4ft from the WNW, and it’s pretty weak.

Friday the 25th is the second real standout of the period, and a very different vibe. The swell is down to 4ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the energy is only 203. But – and this is a big but – the wind is glassy. Absolutely glassy. And the conditions are described as "expect good surf conditions." For a spot that’s been battered by onshores, this is a rare moment of pure, clean, user-friendly surf. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there. This is the one for the longboard or a fun mid-length. The crowd profile is listed as "sometimes," so you might have some company, but that glassy surface will make it all worthwhile.

Saturday the 26th is back to small and messy with cross-shore wind. Sunday the 27th brings a bit of a NW swell back, but it’s short period and cross-onshore again.

Monday the 28th morning is another glassy session, with 4ft from the NW and an energy of 364. The conditions are "expect good surf conditions" again. This is a solid morning session for anyone, especially if you missed the Friday glass-off. The afternoon on the 28th gets strong cross-offshore wind, but it’s tiny at 2ft, so not really for surfing.

Right, so the real choices are: Tuesday the 22nd for the heavy crew – big NW groundswell, expert-only territory, heaps of energy, but a bit bumpy. And Friday the 25th morning for the clean, glassy, user-friendly waves with a good long period – that’s the one to set your alarm for.

Rusty.

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