Willow Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the next 16 days for Willow Creek. This is a reef break that's consistent and works best on a west swell, and it's a good spot for beginners when the conditions line up.

The water temp is sittin' around 60°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there.

First up, the overall pattern. We've got a run of small but clean waves early on, then a bit of a lull, and then some bigger stuff later that’s a bit messy. The real standout is the first few days, Monday 10th through to Thursday 13th. We're talkin' tiny but clean waves, perfect for a beginner or someone with a longboard.

Monday morning (10th August) kicks off with some clouds, a light SSW swell at 2 ft, period of 14 seconds, and glassy wind from the WNW. The wave energy is moderate at 389. That's a long-period groundswell, which on a reef like Willow Creek should wrap in nicely, giving you some nice shaped little runners. Monday afternoon clears up, still glassy, but the swell drops to 1 ft with a very long period of 20 seconds. The combined swell energy is up to 438 despite the small size, showing that long-period power. It's tiny, but it'll be pristine. Tuesday morning (11th) is similar, glassy conditions with 1 ft of 19-second SSW groundswell (combined energy 368). Tuesday afternoon sees the wind shift cross-on, and the quality drops off with that 2 ft SW swell. Wednesday and Thursday mornings (12th and 13th) both offer more glassy windows with 2 ft and 2 ft SSW/SW swells respectively, still with solid periods around 16 seconds.

The best on offer is easily the Monday and Tuesday mornings. This is about as clean as it gets, even though the waves are small. For a learner or someone wanting a stress-free glide, that's your window. Crowds can show up here sometimes, so grab it early.

Now, things slide from Friday 14th August onwards. The wind goes cross-shore and picks up. Thursday afternoon (13th) had a cross-on wind, and from Friday through to Saturday 22nd, we get a stretch of cross-shore winds and bumpy conditions. The swell does build a little, hitting 3 ft to 4 ft from the SSW over that weekend (15th-16th), with combined swell energy climbing into the 600s and 700s, showing moderate power, but the wind is just cross-shore with a chop on it, so it's not gonna be pretty. The waves are there, but the quality is poor for a paddle surfer; honestly, this setup with the stiff cross-winds and building swell over a reef might be more interesting for kite surfing.

There's a real gap in quality from about Friday 14th afternoon all the way through to the end of the forecast. We do see some bigger pulses late in the run, like on Saturday 22nd afternoon with a 6 ft short-period WNW swell at just 6 seconds, and Tuesday 25th afternoon with a 7 ft WNW swell at 7 seconds, but the periods are short, the wind is cross-shore, and the wave comment is marginal at best. That 7 ft is getting up there in size, too big for beginners, and with a short period and cross-wind, it's gonna be a bumpy, closed-out mess.

So, the long story short: get on it early this week for those glassy, tiny, long-period gems. The rest of the run is pretty average, with a lot of chop and wind. I'd be looking at the forecast again in a few days, because things can always change.

Rusty.

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