
Surf Forecasts:
Redwood Creek surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 21s period, SW swell with 647 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 0.8m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Redwood Creek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the banks of Redwood Creek. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
First thing's first, this spot is a river mouth, and it's a rare one to catch. It's an advanced wave, and it's set up for a good W swell. The water's sittin' at about 55°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Right off the bat, we got a bit of a quiet start. The first few days, Saturday the 18th through Monday the 20th, we're looking at small swell, around 3ft to 6ft, coming from the WNW and NW. Now, the wind is mostly onshore or light cross, so the quality is gonna be pretty marginal. It's there, but it's not gonna be the kind of session that gets your heart pounding. The first real standout, or at least the most promising window, shows up on Tuesday the 21st. The morning's still a bit iffy, but Tuesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, and we get a clean 2ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. That's a nice, long groundswell, which at a river mouth can wrap in and give you some real nice lines. The energy is around 346 (moderate) – it's small, but clean. For an advanced surfer on a longboard or a fish, that's your window.
The rest of that week and into the next is a bit of a mixed bag. We get some pulses of NW swell, but the wind is a constant companion, mostly cross-on or onshore. Wednesday the 22nd through Friday the 24th are all in that "marginal" zone. Then, on Friday the 24th afternoon, we see a big jump in period – a 24-second SW groundswell – but it's hitting with a 2ft height and a cross-on breeze, so it's not going to be clean. The energy is strong at 1018, but it's a tease.
The week of the 25th to the 31st is where the size picks up, but so does the wind. We get a long, long period SW swell (19-21 seconds) coming through, and the energy is solid, hitting 1031 on the 25th. But the wind is mostly cross-on. The swell is holding at 3ft to 3ft, so it's not huge, but the long period means it'll be powerful. The problem is that long-period swell at a beach break can be a bit straight and closed out, and with the wind chopping it up, it's a tough call. The crowd profile at Redwood Creek is "often", so it's not a secret spot.
The biggest change comes at the very end of the month and into August. Around Wednesday the 29th through Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell really cranks up. We're seeing 7ft on the 29th, then 10ft on the 30th, and it's holding solid. This is expert territory. The wind is still cross-on, so it's going to be a messy, powerful wall of water. For a river mouth, 10ft is a beast, and with the wind on it, it's going to be a bumpy, challenging paddle. The energy is very high, hitting 1857 on the 30th. This is not a day for a beginner. It's more of a spectacle than a surfable session for most.
So, if you're looking for the one true standout, I'd say it's that Tuesday afternoon, the 21st of July. It's the only time we get a clean, glassy window with a decent long-period swell. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy. The second week is basically a run of big, cross-on, powerful swells that are only for the brave and the experienced. If you're any less than an expert, you're better off looking at the forecast for a change, because this run of big surf and strong wind looks more interesting for the kites than the paddle crowd.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | NW 8 | SW 14 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SW 24 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
337 | 329 | 470 | 413 | 493 | 459 | 349 | 291 | 248 | 239 | 169 | 167 | 109 | 135 | 156 | 205 | 252 | 287 | 335 | 541 | 490 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | on | glassy | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:56PM2.54m | 3:41AM2.26m | 4:36PM2.54m | 4:45AM2.03m | 5:17PM2.53m | 6:01AM1.85m | 6:00PM2.50m | 7:29AM1.76m | 6:45PM2.47m | 8:59AM1.77m | 7:34PM2.45m | 10:11AM1.83m | 8:24PM2.46m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:18AM0.41m | 9:58PM1.05m | 9:58AM0.67m | 11:01PM0.99m | 10:37AM0.94m | 00:07AM0.92m | 11:19AM1.18m | 1:14AM0.84m | 12:06PM1.38m | 2:17AM0.75m | 1:04PM1.53m | 3:13AM0.66m | 2:09PM1.60m | 4:02AM0.56m | |||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:45 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 |
131 | 277 | 470 | 413 | 493 | 459 | 349 | 291 | 191 | 145 | 123 | 107 | 109 | 135 | 156 | 205 | 252 | 287 | 335 | 390 | 490 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | WNW 15 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 24 | SW 24 |
337 | 329 | 250 | 231 | 232 | 238 | 206 | 196 | 248 | 239 | 169 | 167 | 81 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 128 | 96 | 87 | 541 | 347 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 16 | WNW 14 | W 14 | WNW 14 | W 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 8 | SW 26 | SW 25 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
103 | 246 | 125 | 122 | 165 | 150 | 115 | 89 | 57 | 56 | 54 | 48 | 73 | 132 | 116 | 127 | 13 | 237 | 217 | 87 | 85 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 55 | 55 | 4 | 57 | 55 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 55 | 4 | 4 | 51 | 141 | 4 | 55 | 142 | 4 | 55 | 852 | 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.










