Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rusty again. Let's check the conditions for Lincoln City over the next couple weeks in feet and Fahrenheit.

It's looking pretty grim, my friends. The surf is gonna be mostly small and choppy for a long time. To make matters worse, the water temperature is a brutal 53°F, which is 6°F colder than average for this time of year. That's a serious chill – you’ll want the thickest rubber you've got, and a hood is non-negotiable.

The whole run starts off small on Tuesday, August 18th with a 2ft swell from the southwest coming in on a long 14-second period, but the cross-onshore wind makes a mess of it. The wave energy is weak, at a reading of 272.

The best we can scrounge up is Thursday morning, August 20th. We get a 4ft swell from the west-northwest with an 11-second period, and while the wind is a light cross-onshore, it's the most power we see all period, with the combined energy hitting a moderate 607 (moderate wave energy). The afternoon is similar, with a light breeze keeping it rideable but not clean.

Friday, August 21st, the swell tanks back to 2ft, but we get a clean offshore wind in the afternoon from the west-southwest. The problem is that the swell is just too tiny (combined energy 326) to give you anything to ride.

Next up, Wednesday morning, August 26th shows a 4ft west-northwest swell with a 10-second period. The wind is light but cross-onshore, creating a little lumpiness. The energy reading is a moderate 536 (moderate wave energy), which is decent, but the chop will make it frustrating.

There's a weird little gem on Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The wind goes totally glassy, which is a huge positive. The only catch is the swell is a pathetic 2ft from the southwest, with a 14-second period. The forecast says "good surf conditions" here, and on a longboard, you might actually find a clean little waist-high wave. The energy is a weak 211 (weak energy) though, so it's all about the glassy surface, not the power.

After that, it's back to onshore slop or flat spells all the way to September 2nd. There are zero standout days here. Thursday the 20th is the best of a bad lot. The consistent small swell, ice-cold water, and poor wind windows make this a real grinder. If you've got a kite, you might find some fun on the windier afternoons, but for a paddle surfer, it's a tough outlook.

Rusty.

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