Redwood Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the banks of Redwood Creek. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

First thing's first, this spot is a river mouth, and it's a rare one to catch. It's an advanced wave, and it's set up for a good W swell. The water's sittin' at about 55°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Right off the bat, we got a bit of a quiet start. The first few days, Saturday the 18th through Monday the 20th, we're looking at small swell, around 3ft to 6ft, coming from the WNW and NW. Now, the wind is mostly onshore or light cross, so the quality is gonna be pretty marginal. It's there, but it's not gonna be the kind of session that gets your heart pounding. The first real standout, or at least the most promising window, shows up on Tuesday the 21st. The morning's still a bit iffy, but Tuesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, and we get a clean 2ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. That's a nice, long groundswell, which at a river mouth can wrap in and give you some real nice lines. The energy is around 346 (moderate) – it's small, but clean. For an advanced surfer on a longboard or a fish, that's your window.

The rest of that week and into the next is a bit of a mixed bag. We get some pulses of NW swell, but the wind is a constant companion, mostly cross-on or onshore. Wednesday the 22nd through Friday the 24th are all in that "marginal" zone. Then, on Friday the 24th afternoon, we see a big jump in period – a 24-second SW groundswell – but it's hitting with a 2ft height and a cross-on breeze, so it's not going to be clean. The energy is strong at 1018, but it's a tease.

The week of the 25th to the 31st is where the size picks up, but so does the wind. We get a long, long period SW swell (19-21 seconds) coming through, and the energy is solid, hitting 1031 on the 25th. But the wind is mostly cross-on. The swell is holding at 3ft to 3ft, so it's not huge, but the long period means it'll be powerful. The problem is that long-period swell at a beach break can be a bit straight and closed out, and with the wind chopping it up, it's a tough call. The crowd profile at Redwood Creek is "often", so it's not a secret spot.

The biggest change comes at the very end of the month and into August. Around Wednesday the 29th through Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell really cranks up. We're seeing 7ft on the 29th, then 10ft on the 30th, and it's holding solid. This is expert territory. The wind is still cross-on, so it's going to be a messy, powerful wall of water. For a river mouth, 10ft is a beast, and with the wind on it, it's going to be a bumpy, challenging paddle. The energy is very high, hitting 1857 on the 30th. This is not a day for a beginner. It's more of a spectacle than a surfable session for most.

So, if you're looking for the one true standout, I'd say it's that Tuesday afternoon, the 21st of July. It's the only time we get a clean, glassy window with a decent long-period swell. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy. The second week is basically a run of big, cross-on, powerful swells that are only for the brave and the experienced. If you're any less than an expert, you're better off looking at the forecast for a change, because this run of big surf and strong wind looks more interesting for the kites than the paddle crowd.

Rusty, out.

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