Salmon Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break down the 16-day outlook for Salmon Creek. The first couple of days are a washout with poor conditions, so sit tight. Things get interesting if you’re willing to wait.

We start with a real flat, windy run. Monday afternoon July 13th kicks off with some weak, short-period swell at 5 ft from the NW and a 6 mph cross-on breeze that’s going to mess things up. The water’s at 56 °F, which is pretty normal for this time of year. The combined energy is only weak (505), and the wave comment is marginal at best. Not worth paddling out.

Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th are just a grind. Strong onshore winds from the WNW—15 to 22 mph—are blowing over building swell (up to 7-10 ft) but with short, crummy periods of 7-8 seconds. That’s a hard no. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are similar: onshore winds, choppy, and borderline too big for anyone but experts, but the quality is just poor. The energy climbs to moderate-high (882-1111) but the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” across the board. Stay on the beach.

Saturday the 18th finally sees the wind lighten up, but the swell drops to 3 ft and the period stretches to 16 seconds. That energy is moderate (993) but the cross-on breeze and low height mean it’s marginal, not worth a session. Sunday the 19th through Tuesday the 21st stay in that same rut: small (2-3 ft), long-period SW swells (15-17 seconds) with light cross-on winds. A bit of energy (380-663) but the vibe is “meh.” The longer period means those waves will be better for a point break or reef, not a beach break like Salmon Creek. The set gaps will be long.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are still marginal with small swell, but Thursday afternoon (23rd) has a slight uptick: 3 ft at 14 seconds from the SSW, light cross-shore breeze, and combined energy climbing to 876. Still, it’s not clean enough to get excited about.

Now here’s the standout. Friday morning, July 24th. That’s the one. The wind goes glassy—light and variable from the W at 3 mph—with 4 ft of SSW swell at a decent 14-second period. The combined energy is strong (961) and the wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is a proper window for Salmon Creek: clean, glassy surface, manageable size, and enough period to give the waves some shape. The swell direction (SSW) is close to the optimum WSW. This is the best on offer. It’s a bit more than a week away, so keep an eye on the forecast, but it looks promising.

Saturday the 25th has a pulse of WNW swell at 6 ft with 9-second period and moderate energy (1128), but the cross-on wind will make it choppy by afternoon. Not as clean.

Sunday the 26th through Monday the 27th sees the swell build again (7-8 ft from NW, 9 seconds, energy up to 1302-1565) but the wind stays onshore or cross-on. That’s big, unsurfable slop for most. The period is short so waves will be dumpy.

The second standout lands on Tuesday, July 28th. Morning session: 7 ft of NW swell at 9 seconds, combined energy strong (1149), and—this is key—a light cross-offshore breeze from the S at 6 mph. The wave comment is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a clean, hollow wave for advanced crew. It’s big enough at 7 ft that beginners should stay clear. The light off-shore wind will groom the faces nicely. The afternoon holds similar size (7 ft) but with a cross-shore breeze, not as perfect.

Overall, the first two weeks have a lot of poor or marginal days, but Friday the 24th and Tuesday the 28th are the two real standouts. Crowds? It’s Salmon Creek, so expect it to be “sometimes” busy—especially on those good days.

Rusty.

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