States Avenue (Gas Chambers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s spell this one out in feet, knots, and Fahrenheit, because that’s how we measure it sometimes.

The outlook is quiet. Real quiet. The only break on the menu is States Avenue (Gas Chambers), and honestly, the next couple of weeks are looking tough. The water temp is about 75°, which is pretty normal for the season, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re scratching for nothing.

We start off with a little pulse on Wednesday the 22nd in the morning. Swell is about 4ft from the south, period a short 8 seconds. The combined wave energy is 187 – that’s low-moderate. The wind is a cross-off at 16 knots, but the forecast says “poor surf conditions” and a zero score. Not worth paddling out. The afternoon drops to 4ft, and conditions are still poor.

Thursday the 23rd morning is the first time we see a “surfable” rating, but it’s barely worth mentioning. Swell is only 3ft from the SSE, period still at 8 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-off from the NNE at 9 knots. Energy is down to 81. This is a 1-out-of-10 day. You could ride your log, but it’s ordinary. Then from Thursday afternoon until Monday the 28th, it’s a dead zone. Tiny surf, onshore junk, and combined energy numbers often dropping below 50. Some of those days you’ll see 29 and 25 – barely a ripple.

Wednesday the 29th of July morning shows a little hope. Swell is 2ft from the SSE, period still 8 seconds, but the wind goes offshore from the NW at 16 knots. It’s clean, with a moderate offshore breeze. Combined energy is just 66, but it’s the cleanest it’s been in a while. Still only a 1-out-of-10. This is a “you might get something if you’re really keen” kind of day.

Into August, the pattern holds. The best-looking window, if you can call it that, is the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August. Swell pushes up to 3ft from the SSE, period 8 seconds, with a light cross-off from the WSW at just 6 knots. Energy is 88. The light wind might make it look okay, but it’s still only a “surfable but very ordinary” 1-out-of-10. If you’re patient and the tide is right, you might snag a few knee-high runners.

After that, it’s downhill again. Swell drops to 1ft, winds shift to cross-onshore or fresh onshore, and the energy falls into the teens. The last clean windows come on Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of August with offshore or light winds, but the swell is under 2ft, so there’s nothing to work with.

There is no standout period here. Nothing gets above 3ft, the period never extends, and the wind only cooperates a few times. On the cleanest days, it’s strictly a small-wave longboard session. If you’re a kite surfer, those stronger cross-onshore days later in the window could be interesting, but for a paddle surfer? This is a real dry spell. Forecasts can always change, so don’t write it off completely, but right now, I’d be finding something else to do.

Rusty.

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