Redwood Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, grab a coffee and settle in, because this 16-day stretch is a real mixed bag, and honestly, it’s a tough one to get excited about. The spot we’ve got to work with is Redwood Creek, a river mouth that rarely breaks and is only for the brave when it does. The water’s sitting at a pretty average 57°F for this time of year, so nothing to write home about there.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first good-looking window doesn't really show up until Monday the 17th. On the Monday morning, we finally get a glimpse of something rideable. The swell is a tiny 2ft out of the SW, but the wind goes glassy. That’s a rare moment of clean, calm water for a river break. The combined energy is moderate at 385, but don’t let that fool you – the waves will be small and weak.

The next real standout, if you can call it that, comes much later. The run from the 18th right through to the 22nd is mostly poor or marginal, with only light onshore or cross-onshore winds ruining what little swell there is. But then, around Sunday the 23rd, things start to change. The swell picks up to 6ft from the NW, but the period is short at 8 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell. Still, with light winds, it’s the best we’ve seen in a week. The energy jumps to 462, so there’s a bit more grunt.

Now, here’s the kicker: the last few days of August start to look interesting, but it’s a long way off. On Wednesday the 26th afternoon, we’ve got 8ft from the NW with a short 8-second period, and energy is cranking at 868. That’s some serious juice, but that short period at a river mouth is going to mean a bumpy, straight wall. This is honestly looking more like a kitesurfer’s playground than a paddle surfer’s dream.

The real standout for the whole period has to be Thursday the 27th afternoon. Swell is 10ft from the NW, period is 9 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 1680. That’s a lot of water moving. But, and it’s a big but, this is a river break that rarely breaks and is an expert-only spot anyway. With that much power and a short period, it’s going to be a washing machine. Keep the crowd in check, too – it’s a spot that is often busy.

Don’t get your hopes up too much for the very end. That Friday the 28th has 12ft of NW swell with 1858 energy, but again, it’s short-period windswell and the winds are cross-onshore. Not ideal. The whole second week is a bit of a blur of big, messy waves.

My honest take? Unless you’re a hardcore local who knows this river mouth inside out, you’re probably best waiting for a better window. The glassy Monday morning on the 17th is your best bet for a clean, small-wave session. Everything after that is big, bumpy, and for experts only. Fingers crossed the forecast changes.

Rusty.

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