North Jetty at Eureka Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks, so let’s be patient.

Alright, the first chance for a wave comes on Saturday, the 18th of July, at North Jetty at Eureka. It’s a beach and jetty setup, fairly consistent. Saturday morning shows a small 3ft swell from the WNW with a long period of 16 seconds, so there’s some groundswell energy in the water, but it’s weak, with a combined energy of only 982. The wind is light and onshore from the NW, which is not ideal. The water is a bit colder than normal at 54°, which is about 2° cooler than average for this time of year, so you’ll feel that nip. The forecast flags it as marginal, so don’t expect much. Saturday afternoon drops to 3ft from the SW with a very long 18-second period, but it’s cross-onshore wind, making it choppy.

Sunday the 19th sees a bump in size to 7ft from the NW, but the period drops to short 8 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell. It’s onshore wind again, so it’s going to be lumpy. The energy is moderate (1129 in the afternoon). It’s still flagged as marginal.

Monday the 20th is similar: 6ft from the NW with short 8-second period, but the wind turns cross-shore, which is a bit better. The energy is moderate (543). Still, it’s another marginal day.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From Tuesday the 21st all the way through to Friday the 24th, the surf is described as poor or marginal, with light cross-onshore winds and small, weak swell. The combined energy stays low, under 400 for most of those sessions. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out.

Friday the 24th afternoon offers a glimmer: a 3ft swell from the SW with a very long 24-second period and strong energy (1323). But the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be messy. Still, that long period might produce some clean lines if the tide works, but it’s a gamble.

Saturday the 25th morning has a 6ft swell from the NNW with a short 9-second period and onshore wind. Not great. The afternoons on the 25th and 26th see those long-period SW swells return (20-21 seconds) with strong energy (over 1200), but the wind is cross-onshore and building to a moderate breeze on the 26th, making it choppy.

From Monday the 27th onward, the size builds, but the quality drops. We’re looking at 5ft to 12ft swell from the NNW, all with short periods (7-9 seconds) and persistent cross-onshore winds. The combined energy gets strong (over 1500 on the 30th and 31st), but the wind keeps it poor. By Thursday the 30th of July, we’ve got a 10ft to 12ft swell with strong energy (2165), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. This is big, powerful, and messy – only for experts, and even then, it’s a battle.

The run continues into the first week of August with similar conditions: big swell (8ft to 10ft), short period, and moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds. The energy is strong (over 1600 on the 2nd of August), but the quality is poor.

The Breakdown: There is no real standout session in this 16-day window. The best bet, if you’re desperate, would be the early mornings with lighter winds, but the swell is either small with long period or bigger with short, messy period. The southwesterly long-period swells in the afternoons of the 25th and 26th have the most potential, but the cross-onshore wind will ruin the face. Given the beach and jetty setup and the persistent cross-onshore winds, the conditions look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of this period.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the wind shifts, and don’t force it.

Rusty.

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