Willow Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at this stretch of coast.

Overall, the pattern is a long, drawn-out run of small, mid-period SW swell with a lot of cross-shore wind. It’s not a total washout, but you’ll be picking your moments. The first week is pretty marginal; the real standout is a pocket of clean, glassy conditions next week, and then a bigger but wind-affected pulse arrives in the final days of the month. There’s a pretty quiet gap in the very first few days, but by Tuesday morning the 21st, things start to look up.

The only show in town for this forecast is Willow Creek (reef). It’s a consistent beginner-friendly reef break, and the water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

The first real action comes Tuesday morning, July 21st. The morning is the pick of the entire run: absolutely glassy with a slight air, clean as a whistle. The swell is a clean 3 ft from the SSW, period around 14 seconds – that’s a nice groundswell, and 14 seconds will give you proper shape and long, lully sets. The combined energy sits at 590 (moderate). For a quiet Tuesday morning, it’s a great time to get wet. The afternoon builds to 5 ft... but the wind turns cross, and the energy jumps to 1025. It’s still surfable, but the morning is the jewel.

Wednesday, July 22nd has another glassy morning, 3 ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds. Energy is 535 (moderate). It’s another clean, calm session, but the afternoon goes light cross-onshore, so it’s back to the morning window.

From Thursday the 23rd through to the 26th, it’s a steady grind of 3 ft to 3 ft SW/SSW swell with a period hanging around 13-15 seconds, but the wind is stuck in the NW / WNW cross-shore at 9-12 mph, making it a bit bumpy. The energy through this period is moderate (273 to 1764), but the wind is the killer. The Saturday afternoon, July 25th, pushes 5 ft of S swell at 15 seconds, with 1710 energy, but again, cross-shore wind. It’s on the edge of being too big for beginners, but the wind is dirty.

The real punch of swell arrives Monday, July 27th and runs through Tuesday, July 28th. Monday morning has 5 ft from the SSW at 18 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell, packing a punch. The combined energy is 1672 (strong). The wind is still cross-shore at 12 mph from the NW, so it’s a bit of a bumpy beast. By Tuesday morning, July 28th, the swell hits 5 ft from the SW at 17 seconds, with energy hitting 2023 (strong). That’s proper size for a reef, and with that period, it’s going to be a powerful, walling wave. The wind is a little lighter, 9 mph from the WNW, but still cross-shore. This is expert territory; the wave will be big and fast.

After that, Wednesday, July 29th and Thursday, July 30th drop back to 4 ft SSW swell, 16 seconds, with lighter cross-shore breezes (6 mph). Energy is 1071 and 728, so a solid moderate energy. The quality is still marginal, but it’s a step down in size and a bit more manageable.

The tail end of the run, Friday, August 1st and Sunday, August 2nd, sees the swell fade to 3 ft-4 ft, the period dropping to 13 seconds and then down to 9 seconds on the 2nd. The wind stays cross-shore. The 9 second period on the 2nd is a short, windswell-like affair, and the energy is low (376). Not worth the drive, really.

The standout is clear: Tuesday morning, July 21st and Wednesday morning, July 22nd are the cleanest, glassiest windows. If you want the biggest, most powerful session, Tuesday, July 28th morning will be the biggest, but it’s a cross-shore mess and only for experts. Crowds are possible at Willow Creek, so get there early on those glassy mornings.

Rusty.

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