Salmon Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the 16-day picture for Salmon Creek. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch is a tough one. The forecast is full of poor surf conditions and a lot of wind that’s blowing straight onshore. There’s a big gap of days with no real recommendations to speak of, especially from the start through to the middle of the second week.

The water temp here is sitting at 57°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s a touch on the mild side.

Let’s break it down. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until the morning of Friday, July 17th. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds and a light breeze. The energy is moderate, coming in at 1243. It’s still a marginal call, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The wind is light and offshore, which is a big plus for clean faces. The wave state is tricky, but it's the only morning in the whole run that scores a 3/10.

The following morning, Saturday, July 18th, is interesting. The swell drops right back to 3ft, but it’s a long-period groundswell from the WNW at 17 seconds. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but that long period means real energy in the water for a small wave. The energy is moderate at 903. It’s a bit of a gamble.

The best on offer, honestly, is the morning of Monday, July 20th. We get a 4ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, and the wind is barely a whisper from the SW, just a light cross-onshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (1042). It’s still a marginal forecast, but the conditions are the closest we’ll get to clean all period. That long period, 15-second swell will be better shaped at a point or reef, but at Salmon Creek, a beach break, it might wall up a bit straight. Still, if you’re desperate, this is the morning to paddle out.

The rest of the window is a write-off. The wind is relentless, mostly from the WNW and onshore, with speeds often hitting 19 mph, creating choppy, blown-out conditions. The swell never really cleans up. For the second week, it’s more of the same – small, weak, and windy. Nothing worth getting excited about.

This is a blank run. It’s not a place that usually stays poor for long, but this forecast is a dud. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong onshore winds and decent swell sizes on some afternoons might look more interesting than paddling.

Rusty.

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