Surf Forecasts:
Redwood Creek surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, WNW swell with 649 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Redwood Creek this week:
The surf forecast for Redwood Creek over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Redwood Creek in the next 16 days are 1.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Redwood Creek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, it's Rusty here.
Alright, let's get into it. This is a testing forecast for Redwood Creek—it's a river mouth that's exposed to the west, and honestly, it looks like a bit of a waiting game for the first week. That spot only rarely breaks, so you can't just rock up and expect it to fire.
Water temp is currently sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so not a drama for the wetsuit choice.
First up, the coming week. Sunday the 30th is a no-go. There's a bit of a bumpy, weak swell early around 3ft with a cross-onshore, and it just gets messier in the afternoon as the wind swings onshore. Monday the 31st is glassy in the morning with a clean 2ft groundswell, but it's small and weak, and this spot needs more push. The rest of the week into Thursday the 3rd fluctuates between tiny and crumbly with cross-shore winds messing things up—nothing you'd paddle out for.
There is a glimmer on Thursday afternoon though. The wind goes glassy and that swell jumps to 6ft with a longer period, and the energy is kicking up (773). That's the first real chance. Worth a look, but it's a short window.
Redwood Creek (San Mateo County) is the spot to be on the 9th of September. Wednesday afternoon sees the swell jump to a solid 8ft, with glassy conditions and strong energy (1478). This is the standout of the whole forecast. It's a river-mouth setup, so that longer-period groundswell will be peeling nicely along the bank. That's expert territory though; at 8ft it's way too much for beginners. This is the one I'm circling on the calendar.
Before that, Friday the 4th has a clean 5ft wave with light offshore winds, and Saturday the 5th has a clean 2ft but it's small. Then we hit a flat, choppy stretch from the 6th to the 8th.
After the big day on the 9th, things get small and messy again. There’s a bit of swell returning around Monday the 14th, with the afternoon showing a hefty 10ft on the face with absolutely glassy winds and huge energy (1156). That's another expert-only, possibly even more powerful day. The first week is mostly dribble, but that second week has two proper sessions hiding in there. Trust me, it's worth hanging in for.
Don’t hold your breath for the beaches in between; it’s mostly beach-break slop. You might even see a few kite surfers out there on the windy days.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 6 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
306 | 318 | 354 | 169 | 167 | 125 | 213 | 204 | 120 | 109 | 207 | 129 | 475 | 640 | 590 | 530 | 424 | 322 | 251 | 201 | 227 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 1:46PM2.54m | 2:01AM2.31m | 2:16PM2.59m | 2:53AM2.16m | 2:49PM2.62m | 3:53AM2.01m | 3:29PM2.62m | 5:07AM1.88m | 4:18PM2.60m | 6:39AM1.82m | 5:20PM2.57m | 8:13AM1.87m | 6:35PM2.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:01PM0.79m | 7:58AM0.84m | 8:47PM0.70m | 8:30AM1.03m | 9:39PM0.64m | 9:06AM1.21m | 10:40PM0.61m | 9:50AM1.38m | 11:50PM0.58m | 10:50AM1.52m | 1:06AM0.52m | 12:15PM1.60m | 2:18AM0.43m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 5 | 15 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
225 | 318 | 354 | 123 | 75 | 45 | 213 | 204 | 120 | 99 | 70 | 108 | 475 | 640 | 590 | 530 | 424 | 292 | 221 | 172 | 101 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | W 8 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
306 | 299 | 171 | 169 | 167 | 125 | 87 | 85 | 84 | 109 | 95 | 121 | 51 | 21 | 201 | 304 | 366 | 322 | 251 | 201 | 227 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | SW 21 | W 10 | W 10 | NW 11 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 14 | WSW 5 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 10 |
9 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 58 | 34 | 50 | 80 | 59 | 53 | 129 | 203 | 112 | 39 | 35 | 16 | 17 | 35 | 65 | 42 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 14 | 207 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 55 | 514 | 4 | 4 | 57 | 4 | 57 | 15 | 4 | 279 | 259 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Redwood Creek Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Redwood Creek provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Redwood Creek can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Redwood Creek surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Redwood Creek) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Redwood Creek may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Redwood Creek is 38 km (24 miles) from McKinleyville. If you plan a vacation in Humboldt County, look for hotels and other accommodation in McKinleyville. McKinleyville has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











