Salmon Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Salmon Creek.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a solid stretch of dodgy conditions from Wednesday the 15th right through to maybe the middle of the following week. The wind is howling from the WNW most of the time, blowing straight onshore, and the swell is messy. Wednesday morning has a 6 ft WNW swell but it’s getting thumped by a 12 mph onshore wind – poor surf. It only gets worse from there, with Thursday afternoon pumping out a 10 ft swell but it’s blown out by a 22 mph wind. That’s big, messy, and not for anyone but the hardcore, and even then it’s ugly. The combined energy is moderate to strong (969 to 1217), but it’s all wind-affected junk.

Friday the 17th morning is a tiny glimmer – a 6 ft WNW swell, period around 8 seconds, and the wind drops to 9 mph, but it’s still onshore. The call is marginal, and I’d say give it a miss. After that, from Saturday the 18th through to about Thursday the 24th, the swell drops right off to small 2 ft to 3 ft stuff. The wind turns lighter, with some cross-onshore or cross-shore breezes, but the wave energy is weak (468 to 968). The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there. It’s just small, weak, and not worth the paddle.

Now, there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Friday the 24th morning sees a tiny 2 ft SW swell, but here’s the kicker – the period jumps to 24 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, and the wind is light and cross-shore. The combined energy is moderate (804). It’s small, but that long period means it’ll have some shape and push, especially if it finds a bank. The break is exposed to swell and very consistent, but it’s also an advanced spot, so you’ll need your wits about you. The break can get crowded sometimes, so keep that in mind.

The standout window starts to build from Saturday the 25th. The swell picks up to 3 ft, still from the SW, period around 21 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-shore. The combined energy is strong (1085). This is the best looking run of the whole outlook. Sunday the 26th morning has a 3 ft SW swell, 20-second period, and light cross-shore wind – clean, glassy conditions. The energy is very strong (1468). This is what you’ve been waiting for. Monday the 27th morning holds similar with a 3 ft SW swell and light cross-onshore breeze, still strong energy (1245). The swell direction (SW) isn’t the absolute optimum for Salmon Creek (WSW is best), but it’s close enough, and the quality of the swell and wind makes it the pick.

So, if you can hold out, the weekend of the 25th and 26th of July is your best bet. The swell is small but clean, the wind is light, and the long period will give you proper waves. For the advanced crew, this is a session to pencil in. Anything before that, save your energy.

Rusty.

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