Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Lincoln City. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got swell almost every day, but the wind is the real story here, and it’s not a good one for most of it.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a weak, short-period swell coming in. The combined wave energy on the afternoon of Saturday the 1st is just 274 (weak energy) coming from the WNW at a modest 4ft. The water is a chilly 55°, which is 4° colder than average for this time of year – that’s notably cold, so a good 5/4 is non-negotiable if you’re heading out.

The real problem is the wind. It’s mostly cross or cross-onshore from the NW or NNW, ranging from 9 to 15 mph right through the first week. That’s constantly chopping up the surface. Sunday the 2nd sees a bit more size, hitting 6ft with combined energy of 540 (moderate energy), but that cross-onshore breeze is going to make it sloppy.

We go through a long stretch here – pretty much the entire first week and into the second – where every session is flagged with poor surf conditions or marginal surf. The swell sticks around, mostly between 5ft and 7ft, but the wind never gives us a clean window. It’s one of those frustrating runs where there’s water moving but no real quality.

Now, for the one true standout. Hold onto your leash, because the morning of Saturday, August 15th looks like it could be the best session in the entire 16-day window. We’ve got a 7ft NW swell with a moderate combined wave energy of 937. The wind is light, a gentle breeze from the NNW at 9 mph, and it’s a cross-shore with only slight cross-chop. That’s the cleanest wind we see in the whole forecast. The swell direction is a solid W-NW, which is exactly what this exposed beach and reef setup wants to see. This one is for the experienced crew, though – at 7ft, it’s starting to push into bigger territory, but with that long-period energy, it’s going to have some punch.

The afternoon of that same Saturday also has potential, with the swell building to 8ft and combined energy jumping to 1153 (strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving, but the wind picks back up to a moderate cross-shore at 15 mph. Still, for the confident surfer, it’s worth a look if the morning session is too crowded. Crowds are only *sometimes* an issue here, so on a clean day like that Saturday morning, you might actually find some space.

For the experts out there, the Saturday afternoon of August 15th is the heavy stuff – 8ft from the NNW with strong energy. But with that cross-shore wind at 15 mph, it’s going to be a battle. Definitely not one for the beginners.

That’s the long and short of it. A lot of close-out conditions, but one clear window of opportunity if you time it right. Stay hopeful – forecasts change.

Rusty.

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