Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the ocean’s got cookin’ for us.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid window of smaller, cleaner surf kicking things off this Friday, but then it gets a little messy and gutless through the weekend and into the start of the next week. The real story, though, is that pulse of energy pushing in around the 24th and 26th. That’s where the real size and power is gonna show up, but it’ll come with its own challenges.

First up, Lincoln City (Oregon) on Friday morning. We’re looking at a playful 6ft of NW swell with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is moderate, reading 810, and we’ve got that sweet, glassy wind out of the NW at just 3 mph. Water temp is sitting around 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the hood and booties. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and fun, the kind of session that reminds you why you paddle out. It’s fairly consistent too, so you’ll get your fair share of waves. This is the best bet for the near term.

Now, don’t get too excited about the rest of the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are looking pretty average. Swell drops off, and we get a cross-onshore wind from the SSW. It’ll be choppy and a bit messy, with the swell dropping to around 2-4ft. Not really worth scrambling for the board. There’s a small window Monday morning with some clean, glassy conditions and 4ft of swell, but it’s a far cry from Friday. The wind stays problematic for the rest of that week, with a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes messing up what little swell there is.

The surf really goes flat for a stretch, from about the 17th through the 22nd. There are some tiny 1ft to 3ft leftover pulses, but the wind is all over the place. This is the kind of gap where you dust off the longboard or just take a break, because there’s nothing worth getting excited about.

That all changes when we get towards the end of the month. On the 23rd, we see a bit of a pick-up, with the energy jumping to 800 and then 1211 by the afternoon as a new WNW swell starts to fill in at 4ft. It’s still a little lumpy, but you can feel something building.

Then, things get serious. On the morning of the 24th, the swell jumps to a solid 8ft at 12 seconds from the WNW. The energy is strong, reading 2168. That’s a real step up in size. The wind is light but cross-onshore, so it might be a bit textured, but there’s some serious power behind it. This is getting into the territory where it’s a bit too much for beginners, to be honest.

But the standout has to be the 26th. Saturday morning, we’ve got a cracking 7ft of WNW groundswell, with the period stretching out to 11 seconds. The wave energy is reading a very strong 1912, and the winds are forecast to be glassy and calm. The water’s still a bit cold, but the conditions will be clean and powerful. This is the pick of the entire run, a proper autumn swell with clean conditions. The afternoon, however, sees the swell jacking up to a formidable 8ft with a period stretching to 15 seconds. The energy readings go through the roof at 3258. That’s a lot of water moving around, and with a cross-shore wind picking up, you’ll need to be well-experienced to handle those conditions. For the average surfer, the morning session on the 26th is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a long way off, so don’t book life around it just yet, but it’s promising.

So, to sum it up: get out there Friday morning for the clean, fun stuff. Endure the flat, windy spell in between. And for the real show, keep your eyes on the morning of the 26th. That’s the one that has the potential to be truly special.

Rusty out.

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