Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days at Lincoln City are a tough pill to swallow. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions, with very few windows that are worth paddling out for. The water is running way colder than it should be for July, almost 4° colder than normal, so you’ll want a thick suit if you even bother.

Let’s start with the first bit of surf that shows up. Around Thursday afternoon, July 16th, we get a tiny 2ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a very long 18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s weak and the conditions are already poor. The combined energy is only 499 (moderate), but the wind is onshore and the report says it’s poor. Not worth a second look.

Friday morning, July 17th, sees a slight bump to 3ft from the WNW with a 17-second period, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. The energy is a bit better at 571 (moderate), but the report still calls it marginal. The surf is small, clean-ish, but not really breaking with any punch.

Saturday, July 18th, the swell builds to 5ft from the NW, but the period drops to 10 seconds, and the wind is a stiff cross-onshore. By the afternoon, the swell hits 5ft, but the wind is cross-shore at 15 mph, creating a messy cross-chop. The energy jumps to 1024 (strong), but you’ll be fighting the wind more than the wave. This is more of a kite session than a paddle session.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a grind. Sunday through Monday, July 19th-20th, we have 5ft to 6ft NW swell, but the period is a short 8-9 seconds, with cross or cross-onshore winds. The energy stays moderate (566-664), but the surf is choppy and weak. Not much to get excited about.

There’s a brief switch on the morning of Tuesday, July 21st, with a 2ft swell from the SW, a very long 16-second period, and light cross-onshore wind. The energy is 516 (moderate). It’s clean, but the swell is tiny. A log might work, but it’s hardly a standout.

After that, it’s a long, bleak run. From Wednesday, July 22nd, all the way through to the end of the month, the swell stays small (1ft to 4ft), the period is mostly short (8-10 seconds), and the wind is consistently cross-onshore or cross-shore. The energy readings drop off a cliff, down to 250-250 (weak) for a few days around the 23rd. The surf is either poor or marginal, and the only real change is the direction slowly swinging from NW to SW.

Towards the very end, around July 25th-26th, you get a tiny 2ft to 3ft SW swell, but with a decent 20-21 second period. The energy is moderate (648-634), but the wind is still cross-onshore, keeping things messy. It’s a glimmer, but not a real standout.

Honestly, if you’re looking for the best of a bad lot, the morning of Friday, July 17th, is your best bet. It’s not great, but the 3ft WNW swell, with that 17-second period, and light wind, might offer a few clean, soft waves. But don’t expect much. The water is freezing, the crowds are sometimes there, and the rest of the window is a write-off. This is a period where you’re better off checking the forecast again in a few days.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the charts.

- Rusty

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