RIVER SURFING FORECAST & NEWS: Yes the river surfing season for 2023 is for the most part over. Though we have a handful of diehards who will likely pull off a full year of surfing every month in 2023. Are you one of those insane enough to have surfed every month in 2023? Or you gearing up to surf the snow starting sometime this month? Or do you plan to surf this winter?!?
If you are crazy enough to river surf all winter, locally Dave’s Wave is the spot for that. Dave’s has been surfed at air temps well below freezing and into the teens. Scout Wave in Salida is also a spot to check during the off season. People are surfing Scout today at drafting of this report at 265cfs, though the water and air temps are very cold at Scout and you need polar wetsuits w/ hoods, gloves, and booties in the 6mm or more to keep from being overcome with hypothermia. Bend, OR is still surfable and Boise, ID might be up at times.
If you are really into winter surfing locally in Denver, keep an eye out snowstorms and subsequent melt run-off. RRP is surfable during and after a large snow storm.
Otherwise, go surf the groomers at your favorite ski resort or if you have the knowledge and equipment, go out of bounds and surf the backcountry/sidecountry/slackcountry, but know before you go and check the avalanche conditions so you don’t die. Check the avy forecast here: https://avalanche.state.co.us/forecasts
RIVER SURFING TIP: You can river surf all winter long, just takes more knowledge of when and where to go as well as proper wetsuit gear. We will try to update you when the gauges are trending toward surfable flows and when folks are preparing to go surf.
SURF TRIVIA: Who is Sherman Poppen and what was he famous for inventing?
PRIOR SURF TRIVIA ANSWER: The first professional wave pool contest was held in 1985 in Allentown, Pennsylvania at what is known today as the Dorney Park Wildcatter Kingdom. Tom Carrol won the event in 85′ in Allentown.
CURRENT PLACES TO SURF: See table below and check Jake Voss’ Wave Guide for details on these waves https://endlesswaves.net/waves/.
| RRP | Only snowstorms | Sixx Wave needs 135cfs but can be faked at as low as 100cfs or even lower. Benni’s needs 220cfs (water at bottom of pfd/helmet sign) and Chiclets can be surfed starting at 80cfs but can also be high volume board surfed much lower than than that. Snow melt bumps can be surfed at Sixx and the other RRP waves. |
| BEAVERS | Only snowstorms | Needs 100+cfs and blows out at 400cfs. Entry is from downriver where the iron rail fence ends. Real shallow surf |
| 16th STREET | Only snowstorms | 200cfs to 400cfs Longboards and is real shallow but is one of the first places surfed during the winter snowstorm runoffs. |
| DAVE’S WAVE | Surfable | Surfable 12 months out of the year. High tide is very late in the afternoon and need longboards. Blows out over 500cfs or so |
| BINGO WAVE | Not Surfable | Need a high volume board or inflatable board |
| SCOUT WAVE | Surfable | Cold surf all winter long at 250cfs or more. Need some volume, thick wetsuits in perfect condition (no holes or leaking seams). And willingness to barely be able to make turns and click the bottom with your fins. |
| CAÑON CITY WAVE | No idea if ever surfable | Need a battleship sized board to surf this crumbly wave even in the best of times. Here is the live streaming cam for it: https://www.youtube.com/live/X_iECBFS7gY?feature=share |
| MONTROSE | Not surfable | Water died off early this season. |
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: This webcam gets wonky at times and so does the webpage for it. At times it is focused full time on Scout but way too often, other times it cycles different views and briefly on the wave: https://www.coloradowebcam.net/camera/salida-co-lower-wave-arkansas-river-zoom-tenderfoot-mt
Cañon City Wave Live Pole Cam: https://www.youtube.com/live/X_iECBFS7gY?feature=share
LBK
Keep the stoke alive, surf the snow be it on the slopes or melted in the rivers.
The Denver Surf Report 