Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lincoln City over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m gonna be straight with you – the first week or so is a real struggle. We’ve got a long stretch of basically nothing worth paddling out for. The water is running at 51°F, which is a whopping 8°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be needing a thick steamer and a brave heart. The surf is just not there in any meaningful way from Wednesday the 15th through to the end of that first week. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the combined energy is weak, sitting around 356 to 378 (kN/m). Don’t bother.

We start to see a bit of life on Friday the 17th morning, with a 3ft swell from the WNW and a period of 17 seconds, giving a combined energy of 709 (kN/m). That’s a long-period groundswell, which means it’ll be a bit fat and straight at a beach setup, but it’s the first sign of something. The wind is light cross-on, so it’s not clean, but it’s the best of a bad bunch for a full two days. Still, it’s a marginal call.

The real standout window, the one that might actually get me out of bed, is the weekend of the 26th and 27th of July. Saturday morning the 26th has a solid 8ft swell from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1539 (kN/m), which is proper moderate energy. The wind is light cross-on, so it’ll be a bit bumpy but manageable. That’s the biggest, most consistent swell of the whole run. Sunday morning the 27th is still hanging in there with a 7ft swell from the NW and a period of 9 seconds, energy at 1033 (kN/m). The wind is a gentler cross-on, so it’s a bit cleaner. These are the only two days that look like they’ll produce a proper session. The 25th of July is also worth a mention, with 7ft from the NW and a light onshore wind, but it’s not as clean as the 26th.

For the rest of the second week, it’s a mix of 5ft to 7ft NW swell, but the wind is constantly cross-on or cross, and most of it gets marked as poor or marginal. There’s a little spike on the 23rd of July afternoon with a 6ft NW swell and energy hitting 1123 (kN/m), but again, the wind is a gentle cross-on, so it’s not going to be a glassy dream.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The standout is Saturday the 26th of July, with that 8ft NW swell and the best energy of the forecast. It’s a bit too big for beginners, but for the experienced crew, it’s your best shot. Sunday the 27th is a good backup. Lincoln City is a beach and reef setup, fairly consistent, but it’s exposed to the NW and the crowds can show up sometimes. For the size on the 26th, expect a few locals out. Don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.

Rusty.

Read more