Willow Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what Willow Creek has lined up for us over the next two weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this is a bit of a mixed bag, and for long stretches it’s gonna feel like we’re just waiting for something decent.

We’re kicking off the forecast period from Saturday, August 29th, and straight away it’s a tough one. There is swell in the water with a long-period SSW groundswell around 4 feet, but it's coming with a solid NW cross-breeze. That wind is making things a mess, creating a cross-chop that kills the quality. The energy is moderate, floating around 1030 to 1128, but it’s a “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions” all the way through Saturday and Sunday the 30th. Basically, not worth paddling out for.

That tough run carries right into Monday the 31st and Tuesday, September 1st. The swell drops off to a tiny 2 to 3 feet and the wind stays cross or cross-on, making for small, bumpy waves. By Monday afternoon we’re down to a weak 505 energy, and by Tuesday morning it’s just 186. That’s a lean spell for sure.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd see a small uptick in swell height, back up to about 4 to 4 feet, with energy climbing back into triple digits (536 to 1057), but we still can’t shake that onshore-laced cross-wind. It’s still marginal. The water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is about 2°F colder than normal for the time of year – notably cool, so you’ll want the thick rubber.

Rolling into the second week, it’s much of the same low-quality pattern. The middle of the month looks pretty quiet until we get a little glimmer of hope. The standout moment comes on the morning of Thursday, September 10th. The wind drops to glassy out of the west, and we’ve got a nice 3-foot SSW swell with a long 17-second period. The energy reads a solid 588, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the pick of the forecast. If you can wait, that Thursday morning is the real deal – clean lines and proper groundswell rolling into that reef.

The following Saturday, September 12th, keeps the glassy trend going with 2 to 3-foot SW swell. Good conditions for a quiet session, but smaller.

One more curveball on Sunday, September 13th: a short-period, onshore wind swell from the NW pops up at 6 to 6 feet with only 7 seconds between waves. The wind looks light and glassy in the afternoon, and energy is okay (530 to 628), but with that short period and a bit of a bump, it’s not the same quality as the clean groundswell we saw earlier. Might be a bit too lumpy for a smooth ride.

All in all, Thursday the 10th morning is your window. Get it while it’s glassy.

Stay stoked.

Rusty.

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