Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Lincoln City are looking pretty grim. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a struggle, honestly. The good news is this spot is fairly consistent, so a blank run like this is a little unusual, and forecasts can always change, so don't throw the board in the boot just yet.

We kick off on Saturday the 11th of July, but it's a rough start. We've got a moderate 4ft swell coming from the WNW, but the wind is a cross-on from the SSW at 9 mph, making it fairly choppy. The combined wave energy is moderate (510), but the conditions are messy. It's a marginal call, and unless you're desperate, you'd be better off waiting.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th are just as bad. The swell drops a touch, the wind stays onshore or cross-shore, and the scores are flat. We're looking at "poor surf conditions" across the board. The wind is a persistent NNW breeze, which just tears the place up.

Now, here's a flicker of hope. Wednesday the 15th afternoon sees a bump in swell to 5ft from the NW, and the energy jumps to moderate-high (608). The wind is cross-shore, so it's not perfect, but it's a better chance. Then Thursday the 16th, the swell pushes up to 5ft and 6ft, with the energy hitting 785. The problem is the wind is still cross-on or cross, keeping it lumpy. The scores are still poor, but it's the most size we'll see.

The first week closes with a strange setup on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th. The swell drops to 3ft, but the period stretches out to 16-17 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, which normally means proper shape, but with only 3ft of height and a cross-on wind, it's going to be weak and wonky. The energy is still strong (861-1012), but that's just the deep-water kick. On the sand here, it'll be a frustrating, slow affair.

The second week is a real drag. From the 19th of July through to the 26th, the bumpy, cross-shore NNW wind just doesn't let up. The swell is a mix of waist-high 2ft to 6ft stuff, but the wind is always a problem. The best of a bad bunch might be the afternoon of Saturday the 18th, where we get a 6ft NW swell (1012 combined energy) and a moderate cross-shore breeze, but it's still only a marginal score.

If you're looking for the *only* standout in this whole 16-day mess, it's the afternoon of Friday the 24th of July. The morning actually has a brief window with a light onshore breeze from the W at just 3 mph, and a 4ft NW swell. It's slight, but it's the cleanest the wind will be all fortnight. The afternoon goes back to the usual cross-on chop, but that morning is your best shot for something smooth.

The last few days, the 25th and 26th, the swell collapses to 1ft and 2ft from the SW with a very long 20-21 second period. It's a flat, glassy-looking ocean, but with no swell to push it, you'll be sitting on a flat lake. The energy is moderate (210-393), but it's a ghost.

To be honest, with the persistent cross-to-onshore winds and the beach-and-reef setup, most of the period looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The wind is just too strong and too sideways for most of it.

This is a tough outlook. The only real window where you might get a clean wave is the morning of Friday the 24th. For everything else, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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