Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the surf forecast for Lincoln City (Oregon). It’s a beach and reef setup that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the west, with an optimum swell direction from the west. Right now, the water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a grind. The first few days, from Monday the 3rd through to the end of the first week, are a real struggle. We’ve got swell in the 4ft to 7ft range, mostly from the NW and NNW, with periods around 6 to 8 seconds – that’s short-period, wind-slop stuff. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, but the wind is a persistent cross-shore or cross-onshore. That means the surf is consistently poor, with a cross-chop or choppy conditions. There’s a few sessions that are just marginal, but nothing you’d want to paddle out for. The best you can say is by Monday afternoon on the 10th, the swell bumps up to 7ft from the NW with a 9-second period, and the energy climbs, but it’s still cross-shore. It’s messy.

The second week doesn’t really turn the corner either. From the 11th to the 15th, we see swell heights holding around 6ft to 7ft, mostly from the NW, with periods still in the 8 to 9 second range. The combined energy gets stronger, so there’s power in the water, but the wind stays cross or cross-onshore. On the 14th, we hit a moderate energy with a 7ft NW swell, but again, it’s cross-onshore and fairly choppy. The mornings on the 14th and 16th see a light breeze, which might give a brief window of cleaner surf, but it’s still a cross-onshore direction. For a beach and reef setup, this is looking more like a kite-surfing kind of session than clean waves for paddling.

The standout moment, if you can call it that, is possibly the morning of the 14th. The swell is 7ft from the NW with an 8-second period, combined energy moderate, and a light cross-onshore breeze. It’s the best score of the whole run, but it’s still marginal. By the 17th and 18th, the swell drops right off to 2ft to 2ft, with a long period of 15 to 16 seconds, but that’s just a weak, long-period groundswell that won’t do much at a beach break. The wind is variable and won’t help.

In short, the whole 16-day window is a flat, messy pattern. There’s no real standout session. The consistent cross-winds and short-period swell are just not cooperating. If you’re desperate, maybe keep an eye on the 14th morning, but don’t hold your breath. This is a run where the forecast can change, but right now, it’s a blank.

Rusty.

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