Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. There’s no surf stand-out that I’d normally get excited about, and a lot of the days are looking pretty average to poor. The swell energy is there, but the wind is often working against us. Let’s walk through it.

This Sunday morning (July 5th), we’ve got some NW swell pushing about 5 ft at a short 7 seconds, with a cross-shore wind from the NNW at 12 mph. There’s moderate wave energy (516) but the quality is just marginal. Sunday afternoon gets worse as the wind picks up to 16 mph. The combined energy goes up (617), but the surf is messy.

Monday (July 6th) is a little better in the morning – we get a NW swell of about 6 ft, but the period jumps to 11 seconds, which is starting to feel more like a proper groundswell. Still, the cross-shore wind at 9 mph keeps it from being clean. Afternoon stays similar, but the energy climbs to 873. Still just marginal.

Tuesday (July 7th) sees the swell drop to about 4 ft from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind shifts to a cross-onshore from the NW, making for a choppy surface. By afternoon, the swell drops off considerably to about 2 ft from the SW, with a very long period of 20 seconds. That long-period southwest groundswell might make the waves a bit too straight for the beach, but the energy is still moderate (474). Unfortunately, the wind ruins it.

Now, Wednesday morning (July 8th) is where I’d point you if you’re keen. It’s the only time in the entire forecast that gets a “very good” surf conditions call. The swell is only about 2 ft from the SW, but it’s got a long 18-second period and the wind is glassy from the WNW at just 3 mph. The water temperature is about average for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (537). It’s small, but if you want a clean, glassy session, that’s your window. Don’t blink though; by afternoon the wind picks up to a cross-onshore.

From Thursday (July 9th) all the way through to Sunday, July 19th, it’s mostly a bust. The swell is small, consistently under 4 ft, and the wind is nearly always side-onshore or cross-shore at 9-16 mph. The water stays around average temperature. There are a few moments in the second week (around July 15th-17th) where the swell period gets long again (19-21 seconds), but the combined energy hovers around moderate (700-800). Still, the wind is always cross or cross-onshore, so the surface is never clean enough for good surfing. For most of this, the setup would honestly be better for a kite than a paddle.

The last day in the outlook (Monday, July 20th) shows a 5 ft NW swell with a 9-second period and light cross-onshore winds. It’s a marginal day at best.

So, the takeaway? Look for that brief, clean window on Wednesday morning (July 8th) for some glassy, long-period small waves. After that, hold tight and hope the forecast shifts, because right now, it’s a long stretch of poor to average conditions.

Rusty.

Read more