Redwood Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the outlook is pretty grim right now. There’s a big gap of surf that’s just not worth a paddle. The first few days are a write-off, and the longer-range stuff is marginal at best. We’re looking at conditions that are mostly messy, choppy, or just plain poor for the majority of the period.

The first real chance to even consider a session doesn’t come until Tuesday, August 4th, at Redwood Creek. Even then, it’s a tough call. The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° warmer than average for this time of year, so that’s nothing to write home about.

From Friday, July 31st, right through to Monday, August 3rd, the surf is a no-go. The wind is a constant cross-onshore, and the swell is lumpy and short-period. By Sunday morning, the swell bumps up to 7 ft, but it’s still a mess with a stiff cross-onshore breeze. Sunday afternoon sees it jump to 12 ft, and the combined energy is a massive 1696, but the wind is howling at 16 mph from the NNW, making it a full-on choppy, blown-out scene. That’s not for paddling; that’s a kite surfer’s dream, not ours.

The highlight of the entire run, if you can call it that, is the morning of Tuesday, August 4th. We’ve got a 7 ft NW swell (9-second period), and the wind is light and onshore from the NW at 6 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 808. It’s still labelled as “marginal” due to questionable tide conditions, and the wind is technically onshore, but it’s light. It’s the cleanest option in a very dirty window. The swell direction is WNW, but the optimum swell direction for Redwood Creek is from the W, so it’s a bit off-angle. Still, it’s the best you’ll get.

The Wednesday morning, the 5th, has a similar story: 7 ft NW swell with a light westerly breeze, but it’s cross-on. The following days from Thursday, August 6th, through to the 10th, see a bit more size, with some mornings showing 8 ft to 8 ft swells and light onshore winds. The combined energy sticks in the moderate range (800-1000). But it’s always a marginal call, with the wind rarely swinging cleanly offshore.

By the second week, things get smaller and messier. The swell drops to 4 ft to 6 ft, and the wind is almost always cross-on or onshore. The afternoon of Saturday, August 15th, is a weird one: a tiny 3 ft swell from the SW, but the period is a very long 17 seconds. That’s a groundswell, but it’s tiny and the wind is cross-on. For a river break like Redwood Creek, a long-period swell can be tricky, often breaking too straight. Not the one to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: the real standout, if you’re desperate, is Tuesday morning, August 4th. It’s the only time the wind is light enough to give you a chance at a clean-ish wave. The rest of the period is a lot of waiting, watching, and hoping for a better forecast. This river break is rarely breaking at the best of times, and it’s living up to its reputation here.

Rusty.

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