Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright fellas, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Lincoln City.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next two weeks look pretty bleak for a proper surf. The swell is tiny and the wind is never quite right. We’ve got a long stretch of marginal conditions before we see anything with a bit of punch.

The outlook kicks off this Saturday, July 25th, with a weak SW swell. The combined energy reading is 434, which is moderate, but the swell height is only 2ft and the wind is a cross-shore breeze from the SSW at 12 mph. The water temp is about average for the time of year. It’s a messy, choppy scene. Sunday morning is a little better with a 3ft swell, but it’s cross-on and the energy climbs to 764. Still, it’s pretty choppy and not worth getting excited about.

The beginning of the week, Monday July 27th through Wednesday July 29th, is more of the same. Swell hovers around 2ft to 3ft from the SW, with light winds that are mostly cross-on or onshore. The energy drops a bit, sitting around 500–642. The waves are weak and sloppy. Then on Wednesday afternoon, the wind picks up to 16 mph and the conditions turn to junk. Thursday through Saturday, it just gets worse – the swell energy drops below 300, and the wind is a mess.

We then hit a gap of a few days with truly poor surf, from July 30th right through to August 3rd. The swell is tiny, often under 2ft, and the wind is mostly cross-shore at 9–16 mph. The energy is weak, barely cracking 200.

Now, the best we’ve got on offer is a short window around August 7th and 8th. On Friday, August 7th, the swell size jumps to 6ft to 7ft from the NW. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s a windswell, not a groundswell. The combined energy builds to 515 on the morning and 665 on the afternoon. The wind is a cross-shore at 9–12 mph. It’s not clean, but it’s the biggest surf of the whole 16-day run. The wave quality is marginal, but for that size, it’s the only game in town. Saturday, August 8th, is similar with 6ft to 6ft NW swell and energy up to 671, but the wind is cross-on in the morning, making it choppy. It’s still the biggest, but it’s not what I’d call a standout.

For a beginner, most of this period is fine – the swell is under 5ft until August 7th, but the conditions are messy. From August 7th, the swell gets over 5ft, so it’s better for intermediates. The afternoon of August 7th is the only time the size and energy come together, but the wind keeps it from being clean. The short period of 8 seconds means the waves will be a bit crumbly and won't have that long, drawn-out face.

So, to be honest, there’s no real gold here. The best bet is the afternoon of Friday, August 7th at Lincoln City (beach and reef). You’ll have 7ft of NW swell, moderate energy at 665, and a cross-shore wind. It’s the biggest, but it’s still a messy, windswell-chop affair. The crowds are sometimes there, so you might have some company. This is a long-range call, so it’s promising but not certain.

Signing off, Rusty.

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