Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me level with you, this is Lincoln City on the Oregon coast and, to be honest, the next week and a half looks pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got wave energy, sure, but it’s mostly small and the wind’s just never quite in the right spot. The water temp is running 52° – that’s a whopping 7° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’re gonna want a thick hooded 5/4, no question.

We start Monday the 10th with tiny 1ft swell out of the southwest, and a moderate cross-shore wind. It’s not even worth a look. Tuesday the 11th isn’t any better – same knee-high dribble with a cross chop. Wednesday the 12th shows a little hope with a long period 18 second groundswell, but the swell height is still just 1ft, so the wave energy (224) is mostly just water moving around under the surface. It doesn’t add up to a wave you can ride.

Through Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, we see a pulse of 4ft to 5ft swell, but it’s coming from the northwest with a short period of 7 to 8 seconds, and the wind is always cross or cross-on. That’s the recipe for a lumpy, choppy mess. The energy does jump up into the 300s, but the wave quality is just poor.

The weekend of Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th is more of the same: small cross-on junk in the knee-to-waist range. The light breezes on some sessions sound nice, but they never turn fully offshore for Lincoln City.

Now, the best window in this entire 16-day stretch—and I’m talking the only real standout—is that last week. Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th. The swell finally builds to a solid 5ft to 6ft out of the west-northwest, with a moderate 10-second period. The wave energy jumps to 679 and peaks at 945, which is strong. Now, the catch: the wind stays cross-shore out of the north-northwest. It won’t be glassy, but it’s not onshore, so the shape should be a lot better than anything we’ve seen. At 6ft, this is getting into expert territory for sure, especially with that energy. The direction is the closest thing to an optimum west swell we’ve had, which is good for this exposed beach and reef setup. You can plan on this being the pick of the month, but it’s still a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.

Everything before that is pretty much a write-off for surfing. The consistent cross and cross-on winds make this setup look more interesting for a kite session than a paddle. Honestly, the forecast can shift, but right now, we’re staring at a solid week of marginal conditions before that late-season pulse.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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