Surf Forecasts:
Redwood Creek surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NW swell with 365 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s period with WNW 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. 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 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
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 shaping up.
First up, we’ve got Redwood Creek. This one’s a river mouth, exposed to the swell, and it rarely breaks, so we’re already dealing with a bit of a fickle beast. The water temp is sitting at 56°F which is about normal for this time of year.
The forecast kicks off on Thursday morning, August 20th, with a clean 3 ft swell from the WNW, period of 11 seconds. The wind is glassy, and the combined energy is moderate (372). That’s a decent start, but don’t get too excited – this spot is inconsistent. By Thursday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the outlook gets marginal.
Friday the 21st offers a repeat: glassy mornings, 2 ft from the WNW, 10-second period. The energy is moderate (272) and the conditions look good. The afternoon holds the same glassy wind, so Friday is your best bet early on for a clean, small wave. The swell drops to 2 ft on Saturday morning, still glassy, but the energy is getting weak (154). Saturday afternoon, the wind goes cross-onshore and the surf gets choppy and poor.
Sunday the 23rd sees a bump in size – 5 ft on the morning but with a short, weak 7-second period from the NW and onshore wind. The energy is moderate (327) but the wind kills it. Sunday afternoon gets bigger, 7 ft from the NW, but it’s cross-onshore and messy. Unless you’re an expert and love a challenge, give it a miss.
Monday the 24th through the rest of the week looks poor. The swell shifts to the SW with long periods (16-18 seconds) but the wind is never clean. The energy jumps up – Monday morning has 502, Monday afternoon 403, Tuesday 328 – but it’s all cross-onshore or onshore, with inconsistent, poorly shaped waves. The long period groundswell is better suited to a point or reef, not this river mouth.
There’s a brief window on Tuesday the 25th afternoon: the wind goes glassy, with 2 ft from the SW at 16 seconds. The energy is moderate (269) and the conditions are good, so it’s a small but clean option. After that, it’s a long run of poor or marginal conditions right through the end of August and into September.
The first week of September keeps the trend. Mostly small, weak, and onshore. The best chance comes Friday, September 4th: a 6 ft swell from the NW in the morning, period 8 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore. The energy is strong (648). The afternoon gets serious: 8 ft from the NW, 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 1033. That’s solid, powerful swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy and only for experts. The period is short, so it’ll be a lumpy, heavy wave.
Overall, the standout is Friday morning, August 21st – glassy wind, 2 ft clean waves from the WNW, moderate energy. The best of the bigger stuff is Friday September 4th, but that’s for experts only, and the wind is messy. For the average surfer, the first few days are your best – small, clean, and consistent, despite the spot being rare to break.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | WNW 11 | SW 14 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 13 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 8 | SW 18 | WSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
206 | 153 | 115 | 108 | 78 | 74 | 61 | 82 | 160 | 293 | 318 | 252 | 204 | 167 | 222 | 169 | 124 | 124 | 159 | 151 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 5:48PM2.36m | 8:45AM1.77m | 6:49PM2.33m | 9:55AM1.85m | 7:52PM2.35m | 10:39AM1.93m | 8:50PM2.41m | 11:11AM2.01m | 9:40PM2.48m | 11:39AM2.10m | 10:25PM2.55m | 12:05PM2.19m | 11:08PM2.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:35AM0.79m | 12:24PM1.63m | 2:40AM0.72m | 1:46PM1.66m | 3:33AM0.63m | 2:55PM1.63m | 4:17AM0.54m | 3:49PM1.55m | 4:55AM0.46m | 4:34PM1.44m | 5:28AM0.41m | 5:16PM1.32m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 10 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | W 8 | W 13 | SW 16 | NW 6 |
206 | 153 | 115 | 59 | 57 | 74 | 45 | 82 | 160 | 293 | 318 | 194 | 152 | 75 | 39 | 25 | 30 | 123 | 159 | 71 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 7 | WNW 10 | W 9 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 13 | W 12 |
64 | 38 | 57 | 108 | 78 | 37 | 52 | 42 | 94 | 166 | 150 | 252 | 204 | 167 | 222 | 169 | 124 | 124 | 79 | 72 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WNW 11 | SW 12 | — | SSW 14 | W 18 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 8 | WNW 7 | SW 16 |
97 | 128 | 100 | 62 | 44 | 61 | 61 | 68 | 24 | 12 | 23 | — | 20 | 55 | 81 | 115 | 103 | 29 | 18 | 151 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 47 | 4 | 411 | 515 | 4 | 4 | 514 | 4 | 326 | 142 | 4 | 118 | 15 | 4 | 57 | 15 | 4 | 55 | 514 | 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.











