Keeping an eye on monsoon moisture returning to the area soon. Not going to be as strong as last week, but hopefully the afternoon rains will hit in the right places and bring us some surf over the coming week.
Normally we call it done/over for Denver’s river surfing season at RRP by mid-August, but this year is different with Chatfield sitting about full and wet ground to not soak up the run-off from the monsoon thunderstorms.
Unfortunately our monsoon season does end in Sept, though lets keep doing our rain dances to possibly keep the surf season going as long as we can at favorite spots like Wave Sixx, Golden, etc.
As always, will immediately update you on Chatfield release changes this coming five days.
Alternate spots to surf locally are almost gone except for some low flow stuff at Bingo and Dave’s Wave.
On the road, Scout in Salida still is running excellent around 900cfs. So if you have not yet hit Scout, brave the crowds and get on it ASAP before any water turn down occurs in the next weeks.
Montrose? Seems everyone who is willing to travel are skipping Montrose in favor of Scout. Montrose is a longer drive from Denver but it does hold flow to the end of October.
PLACES TO SURF: See table below.
| Beavers | Not Surfable | Too low of flow |
| 16th Street | Maybe Surfable | Might be to low |
| Dave’s Wave | Surfable | High tide is in the afternoon |
| Bingo Wave | Surfable | Need a high volume board or inflatable board |
| Scout Wave | Surfable | Crowded but well worth the drive and wait in the queue |
| Montrose | Surfable | No intel on how well it is surfing |
RIVER SURFING NEWS: The inaugural “Last Surfer Standing Competition” was held yesterday at Sixx by a handful of people. Local stand-out surfer, Swifty, was a sure favorite to win but he tapped out early. Reese then took a commanding lead while Dan G. incredibly kept bomb dropping into the abyss of low flow but could not stay on for a full ride. Then almost out of nowhere as if a last minute swell push came in (and it did not by the way) Thomas scored a very late long ride to go into the lead as the last surfer standing up. Reese who thought he was going to take the first ever victory of the Last Surfer Standing Comp, jumped back in to try to regain the lead but was unable to pull off a full ride, thus giving the ultimate win to Thomas… Congrats to Dan, Reese, and Thomas making it to the podium finishes of this unsanctioned by WSL/MHFD/SSPR/Tri-City event!
RIVER SURFING TIP: The popular jump-hop-around body varial to opposite stance in river surfing is “NO BUENO”! Instead, do a cross-step over to switch stance and do it smoothly/quickly as part of your run and not an excuse for an extended second run while surfing your turn up. See the “Prior Surf Trivia Answer” below for more details on how to properly switch your stance will river surfing.
SURF TRIVIA: “Surfer Magazine” was the most influential print surfing publication ever. What years did the print version of Surfer Magazine exist?
PRIOR SURF TRIVIA ANSWER:
Cross-stepping is the proper way to move up and down a longboard or even to maneuver to switch stance on a surfboard (no matter the size or type of board) while surfing!!!!!! Shuffling up and down a longboard is bad form. So is shuffle footing to switch stance or any other stance on a short board considered bad form. Here are some vids to watch about stylish cross stepping even if you surf a short board and want to change mid-ride to surf switch or ski-stance or whatever.
And for some of more stylish cross-stepping to switch and all over the board, here is Hawaiian Arthur Anchinges: https://youtu.be/GDzMdtobPsA
Here is a vid to a lengthy tutorial on how to cross step: https://youtu.be/E3VJoALL9Rs?t=1460
LINKS TO KNOW:
Chatfield gauge (takes 2-3 hours to impact RRP; click on raw/all values then table view for 15 min updates to flow levels): https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/StationsLite/PLACHACO?params=DISCHRG
RRP gauge (click on raw/all values then table view for 15 min updates to flow levels) flow below 130cfs or so means it is too low for Sixx: https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/StationsLite/PLAUNICO?params=DISCHRG
Sixx Pole Cam: https://www.senserasystems.com/public/embed/3M7824646H83
Dave’s Wave gauge (is about 3 hours off since the closest gauge is way down river. So look at prior day’s gauge amount and adjust your mind…. i.e 3pm Friday should likely be noon Sat current conditions… Need at least 200cfs to surf Dave’s on a longboard or inflatable): https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/StationsLite/PLAHENCO?params=DISCHRG1
Scout Wave gauge (1,200cfs or lower is surfable): https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/StationsLite/ARKSALCO?params=DISCHRG
Scout Live Web Cam: (click on the start for the mountain trail and will sometimes be focused on the wave to give you a streaming look at the Scout Wave): https://www.coloradowebcam.net/camera/salida-co-spiral-dr-summit-tenderfoot-mt-ptz-webcam?q=node/595&img_folder=salidatower3&nid=279&width=1280&height=960
LBK
Surf with style if you going to river surf!
The Denver Surf Report 