Surf Forecasts:
Redwood Creek surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period, WNW swell with 891 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SW 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. 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 1.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Redwood Creek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Redwood Creek. It’s a river break that’s exposed to the west, and it rarely breaks, so we're not exactly spoilt for choice. We’ve got a long wait ahead. The first decent sign of anything rideable doesn't pop up until the end of the month, and even then, it’s a mixed bag with a lot of marginal conditions.
The outlook kicks off on Friday the 28th of August morning with a small 2 ft swell from the SW, but it’s a long-period 16-second groundswell. The combined energy is weak (311). The wind is onshore, so it’s not doing us any favours. It’s a tough start.
We then have a gap of a few days with nothing worth recommending until the afternoon of Monday the 31st of August. That’s when we see a little window. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the NW, with a short 7-second period, so it’s more of a windswell. The key here is the wind goes glassy, which is a major positive. The combined energy is moderate (442). For a break that rarely shows, this is the standout moment in the early part of the forecast. It’s not huge, but clean conditions make it the best on offer for a beginner-friendly size.
Then we enter another dry spell. The next real flicker of hope comes on the afternoon of Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell is still small at 3 ft from the WNW, but the wind turns cross-offshore, cleaning it up. The combined energy is weak (259). It’s not a classic, but it’s a clean, small wave option.
We then have a more significant swell on the 3rd of September. Thursday morning sees 6 ft from the WNW with a moderate 11-second period. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1136. That’s a lot of power heading into the river mouth. However, the wind is light and cross-shore, and the break is described as “rarely breaks,” so this is a bit of a gamble. The size is getting into the intermediate-to-advanced zone. The afternoon drops to 6 ft, still with that strong energy (924), but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy.
After that, the surf fades back down. The next real highlight is a bit further out. On the 8th of September, Tuesday morning and afternoon, we get a 3 ft to 4 ft NW swell with a short 9-second period, but the wind is glassy both sessions. That’s clean, small waves. The combined energy is moderate (256 and 406). This is a solid, clean option for a quiet session.
The last real standout in the second week is on the 9th of September. Wednesday afternoon brings a 2 ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period. The wind goes glassy again. The combined energy is moderate (478). That’s a textbook clean, long-period groundswell, but it’s small. For a river break, that long period might make it a bit too straight, but the glassy conditions are a huge positive.
Looking further out, the 11th and 12th of September bring a bigger bump – 7 ft to 8 ft from the NW, with short periods of 8 to 10 seconds. The combined energy is strong (793 and 1122). But the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. This is legitimate size for experts only, but the wind is messy. It’s a powerful, chunky windswell, and with the onshore wind, it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, for a river break at that size with onshore wind, it might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Overall, the best and most reliable sessions are the glassy ones: the afternoon of the 31st of August, the 8th of September, and the afternoon of the 9th of September. The bigger swells on the 3rd and 11th are there, but the wind and the “rarely breaks” nature of the spot make them a gamble. Keep an eye on the glassy windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | NW 7 | SW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
128 | 127 | 169 | 179 | 152 | 312 | 248 | 306 | 444 | 447 | 194 | 260 | 269 | 157 | 220 | 159 | 135 | 135 | 730 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | off | on | cross-on | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:49PM2.57m | 12:54PM2.37m | 00:31AM2.52m | 1:20PM2.46m | 1:15AM2.43m | 1:46PM2.54m | 2:01AM2.31m | 2:16PM2.59m | 2:53AM2.16m | 2:49PM2.62m | 3:53AM2.01m | 3:29PM2.62m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:29AM0.45m | 6:36PM1.04m | 6:58AM0.54m | 7:18PM0.90m | 7:28AM0.68m | 8:01PM0.79m | 7:58AM0.84m | 8:47PM0.70m | 8:30AM1.03m | 9:39PM0.64m | 9:06AM1.21m | 10:40PM0.61m | |||||||
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 6 | SW 18 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 11 |
128 | 114 | 122 | 100 | 60 | 312 | 247 | 218 | 444 | 447 | 194 | 260 | 269 | 157 | 220 | 159 | 135 | 135 | 730 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | NW 6 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
102 | 127 | 169 | 179 | 152 | 54 | 248 | 306 | 245 | 171 | 169 | 167 | 127 | 36 | 85 | 61 | 109 | 69 | 93 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 21 | W 10 | SW 19 | NW 11 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
35 | 70 | 85 | 87 | 102 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 43 | 87 | 50 | 49 | 60 | 55 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 240 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 55 | 411 | 4 | 55 | 515 | 4 | 376 | 396 | 4 | 259 | 13 | 4 | 57 | 26 | 4 | 15 | 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.











