Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Lincoln City over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a small but sweet window to kick things off. Friday morning, September 4th, is looking like the best bet early on. We’ve got a 5 ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 642 (moderate). The water is sitting at 55.9°, which is a notable 3.1° colder than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. The wind is light easterly at 5 km/h, so it’s offshore and clean. That’s good surf. Friday afternoon stays glassy with a 4.3 ft WNW swell – still very clean.

Saturday morning, September 5th, drops off to a tiny 2.3 ft SW swell, but it’s glassy with zero wind. The period is a long 16 seconds, which is groundswell energy, but at that size it’s barely breaking. Saturday afternoon gets a cross-shore wind that chops it up a bit. Probably not worth paddling out.

Sunday through Tuesday morning, September 6th–8th, things go flat and poor. Swell drops to 1.6–2 ft, winds are messy, and the scores are low. You’re looking at a few days of nothing special.

Then we get a bit of a pulse on Thursday morning, September 10th, with a 3.3 ft WNW swell and 11-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s not clean. Energy is moderate at 495, but it’s only marginal.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday morning, September 12th, brings a solid 5 ft WNW swell, 10-second period, and combined energy of 670 (moderate). The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror. This is a standout – clean, punchy waves for intermediates. The afternoon picks up to 5.2 ft but gets a light cross-onshore breeze, so grab the morning session.

Sunday morning, September 13th, holds 5.6 ft from the NW with a 10-second period, but the wind is light cross-onshore. Still surfable, but not as clean as Saturday.

Then Monday, September 14th, we get a big jump. The morning shows 8.2 ft NW swell with a 9-second period and combined energy of 1373 (strong). That’s a lot of power. The wind is light onshore, so it’s going to be a beast. This is expert-only territory – too big for beginners. The afternoon stays 8.2 ft with a moderate cross-shore wind, making it choppy and messy.

Tuesday, September 15th, drops to 5.6 ft NW, but with a moderate cross-shore wind, it’s not great. Wednesday through the end of the forecast sees the swell fading and winds staying cross or cross-onshore, with poor conditions. The final weekend, September 19th, shows tiny 1.6–2 ft SW swell with very long 19-second periods, but the wind is messy and the scores are zero. Not worth it.

Overall, the standout is Saturday morning, September 12th – glassy, clean 5 ft WNW swell. Second best is Friday morning, September 4th, for the clean offshore conditions. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big for comfort.

Stay safe out there.

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