Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the surf is going to be a real struggle for a long stretch. We’re looking at a solid gap of nothing worth getting wet for, starting now and running all the way through until the end of August. The first few days are a write-off with tiny, weak swells and cross or cross-onshore winds messing up any chance of a decent wave. The water temp at Lincoln City is sitting at a frigid 49°, which is a whopping 10° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s not just a little chilly, that’s a full-on winter wetsuit situation, no question.

The only real glimmer of hope pops up on Sunday, the 30th of August. The morning session is looking like the clear standout. We’ve got a glassy, dead-calm wind, which is a massive positive for clean surfaces. The swell is a tiny 2ft out of the SW, but with a period of 16 seconds, that’s proper groundswell energy. It’s a long-period swell, which tends to favor the reefs and points, and Lincoln City is a beach and reef setup, so it could line up nicely. The combined energy is moderate at 343. It’s not going to be big, but it could be the cleanest, most rideable wave we see in this whole window. Expect crowds to be possible.

After that, things get messy again. A bigger pulse of swell shows up around the 1st and 2nd of September, with an 8ft to 10ft SSW swell on the 2nd, but the period is a short, choppy 7 seconds. That’s big, sloppy, and cross-onshore – it’s going to be a mess. For a beach and reef setup with that much chop, honestly, this looks more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

The next real chance of something good might be on Thursday, the 3rd of September. The morning looks promising with glassy conditions again and a 4ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 500. This could be a fun, clean day if the wind holds. The 4th of September also has some size, with a 7ft WNW swell, but the wind is cross-shore, so it will be a bit lumpy. That’s more for the experienced crew.

After that, we’re back to small, onshore slop for the second week. The long-range forecast for the 8th of September shows a 1ft swell with a very long 21-second period, but it’s tiny and cross-onshore. It’s a long way out, so don’t get your hopes up.

So, bottom line: the best on offer is definitely a tie between the glassy Sunday morning of the 30th of August for the clean little waves, and the potentially glassy Thursday morning of the 3rd of September for a bit more size. Keep an eye on those windows, because the rest of the time, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

Read more