Redwood Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, let’s break it down in feet and degrees, like a true local.

Redwood Creek ain’t exactly pumping. Over the next 16 days, there’s a big silent gap before we get anything worth paddling out for.

Overall Pattern

The first bit of action is on Friday the 24th of July. Wave height is only 2ft out of the southwest, but the wind goes glassy – dead calm. The combined swell energy clocks in at 764, which is a solid moderate push for such a small wave, and the period is a long 24 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, but at a river break, a long period can make it stand up too straight. Still, if you’re after a clean, easy longboard session, that Friday afternoon is your best shot.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th show a little more size – 3ft – but the wind turns cross-on or onshore. It’s small and messy. Then from Monday the 27th, we hit a long stretch of marginal conditions or outright poor surf. The swell direction sticks to SW, but the period gets short and the wind is never good.

There’s a big dry spell from the 25th right through to roughly the 30th of July. That’s a solid week of absolutely nothing.

We get a pulse around the 30th to 31st of July, with swell hitting 5ft out of the NW. But the period drops to a miserable 7 to 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak to moderate (324 to 570), and the wind is cross-on or onshore. With a short period and onshore wind, it’s nothing but chop. This is more of a kite surfer’s playground than a paddle surfer’s dream.

As we roll into the first week of August, the swell actually gets bigger, but the quality doesn’t follow. Saturday August 1st has 5ft with a pitiful 7-second period. The combined energy is only 379. Still cross-on. Sunday August 2nd shows 7ft to 7ft – that’s a powerful number on paper – but again, short period and moderate breezes. Too big and too messy for anyone looking for a clean ride. A beginner should steer well clear of that kind of short-period, cross-on chop.

The Standout

If you’re picking one moment, it’s that Friday afternoon the 24th of July. Wave is only 2ft, but the swell direction is SW (the optimum for Redwood Creek), the period is 24 seconds, and the wind is glassy. The water temp is 57°F, which is average for the time of year. The bigger pulses later on – like 8ft to 8ft around August 8th – have combined energy hitting 1181, which is strong, but the wind is still onshore or cross-on (10 to 15 km/h) and the period is only 9 seconds. That’s just messy, powerful chaos. Not worth it.

This break is “rarely breaks” and it’s only for advanced surfers. With the wind and swell combo we’ve got, don’t expect a miracle. It’s a quiet run, and that’s normal for this spot.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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