Surf Forecasts:
Redwood Creek surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s period, WNW swell with 1,938 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 19s 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 6s. 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 2.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Redwood Creek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve taken a long, hard look at what we’ve got coming up at Redwood Creek. This spot is a river mouth that rarely breaks, so we’re not talking about a consistent player. But let’s see if this 16-day window has any hidden gems.
Overall, the pattern is on the small side for a long while. There’s a definite gap of surf that’s just not worth paddling out for. We’re going to have to be patient, with a whole bunch of marginal days and poor conditions dominating the first two weeks. The real interest, and it’s a tricky one, shows up much later. The key thing to remember is that Redwood Creek really needs the right swell and wind to light up, and it’s a rare event.
Right off the bat, the forecast kicks off on Friday, August 28th. It’s not great. We’ve got a tiny 0.5m SW groundswell (16-second period), but the wind is onshore and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 16°, with the anomaly being 2°. The wave energy is moderate (311). This one is a miss. The rest of the first week is much of the same – small, onshore wind, and poor surf, with the best you’ll get being a marginal call. There’s really nothing to get excited about from Aug 28 through to the start of September.
Into the first week of September, the swell picks up a little, but the quality doesn't. On Tuesday, September 1st, it’s still small at 1.1m from the NW with a moderate 9-second period in the morning. The afternoon gets interesting though. The wind goes glassy out of the W at just 5 km/h. The wave energy is still moderate (331). The swell is a bit short period, so it won't have much push, but the clean conditions are a major positive. It’s a tiny, glassy window, but still, the surf is marginal overall.
Then comes a bigger pulse. On Thursday, September 3rd, the swell jumps to 2.2m WNW with a long 11-second period, and the wave energy goes strong (1496). The wind is cross-onshore though, and it says it's marginal. Too big and blown out. Friday, September 4th, is the standout morning for the whole run. The swell hangs in at 2.1m from the WNW (10-second period) and the wave energy is still strong (1287), but crucially, by the afternoon, the wind goes glassy again. The conditions are described as "excellent for experienced surfers". That’s our best shot. It’s a solid, powerful 2.1m of NW groundswell with clean, glassy conditions. It’s a proper, punchy wave. The only downside is that at 2.1m, this is easily too big for beginners, and it's a rare day of quality at an inconsistent spot.
After that, it fades. The weekend of September 5th and 6th drops back to knee-high, weak swell with onshore winds. The second week of the forecast (Sep 7 through Sep 11) is full of poor to marginal conditions again, with the swell building back up but the wind always ruining it. There’s nothing of note until the very end.
The final few days finally look better. Saturday, September 12th, sees very small 0.9m to 1.0m SW groundswell, but things go glassy in the afternoon. Wave energy is moderate (525). The conditions are described as "very good". It’s tiny, but clean. That’s your other look.
So, if you’re keen, the one true standout is Friday, September 4th. Glassy, clean 2.1m WNW swell for the afternoon session. It’s going to be a powerful wave, but it’s only for the experienced crew. The river mouth setup might actually handle this direction and period well. The other option is the very end of the run on September 12th for a small, glassy session.
Bottom line: there’s a long, dry spell before the first real chance. Be ready to jump on that Friday the 4th or the 12th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | NW 7 | SW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
127 | 169 | 179 | 152 | 312 | 248 | 306 | 413 | 354 | 169 | 167 | 125 | 204 | 196 | 159 | 112 | 141 | 567 | 1252 | 1899 | 1657 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 5:07AM1.88m | 4:18PM2.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:50AM1.38m | 11:50PM0.58m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 6 | SW 18 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 |
114 | 143 | 113 | 46 | 312 | 240 | 218 | 413 | 354 | 165 | 89 | 81 | 204 | 196 | 159 | 112 | 141 | 567 | 1252 | 1899 | 1657 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 18 |
127 | 169 | 179 | 152 | 54 | 248 | 306 | 299 | 171 | 169 | 167 | 125 | 87 | 85 | 61 | 109 | 69 | 93 | 206 | 113 | 307 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 21 | W 10 | W 9 | NW 11 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 19 | — |
70 | 85 | 87 | 102 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 58 | 34 | 50 | 49 | 60 | 53 | 38 | 38 | 129 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SW 5 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 190 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 57 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 55 | 396 | 4 | 55 | 515 | 4 | 326 | 396 | 13 | 376 | 55 | 4 | 202 | 4 | 4 | 216 | 4 | 4 | 55 | 624 | 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.











