Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, listen up. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on offer for Lincoln City over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’ve got to wait a while for the real juice.

First up, the water is a chilly 51°, which is a whopping 8° colder than normal for this time of year. That’s not just a little nippy, that’s full-on winter wetsuit territory, even in July. So, bring the thickest rubber you’ve got.

For the first few days, from Friday the 24th of July right through to the end of the month, it’s pretty average. We’re looking at small, weak swells. Friday morning offers up a 4ft groundswell from the NW with a 9-second period, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze, making it a bit bumpy. The combined energy is moderate at 506. Honestly, it’s marginal. The swell drops off after that, getting smaller and messier with cross-shore winds. Saturday and Sunday are tiny, and the wind is pretty poor. It’s not worth paddling out for much of this.

Then we hit a gap. From Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell starts to build, but the wind keeps it ugly. Monday the 3rd sees 6ft to 7ft waves from the NW, but it’s all cross-shore wind and the period is a short, weak 8 seconds. This is just messy, choppy stuff. The setup is a beach and reef, which with this wind and swell, honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The real standout comes mid-week, but it’s a long way off. Wednesday the 5th of August is the one to circle on the calendar. We’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the NW, with a 9-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1423. Now, this is big. Over 8ft, so this is for experienced surfers only. The morning sees a light cross-shore breeze, which is better than it has been, but it’s still a cross-shore. The afternoon is bigger at 10ft with a 1433 energy reading. This is a powerful, heavy swell, and with that short period, it’s going to be a lot of water moving fast. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only real punch of energy in the whole forecast. The direction is NW, which is exposed and matches the optimum.

Thursday the 6th of August is still chunky, with 8ft from the NW, but the energy drops off and the wind gets a bit more onshore. After that, we fade back into small, poor conditions for the rest of the window.

So, the verdict: if you’re an expert, hold out for Wednesday the 5th of August. That’s the biggest, most powerful swell on offer. The rest of the time is small, weak, and blown out. It’s a tough run for a spot that’s fairly consistent. Don’t get too down, though – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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