Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, but this time in feet and miles per hour.

Let's break down the 16-day picture for Otter Rock (point break). Honestly, this is a grim outlook. We start on Saturday the 18th with waves around 5ft from the NW, period roughly 10 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 854, so there is some push. But the wind is blowing cross at 16 mph, and the water is a frigid 52°F – that's nearly 7° colder than normal for July. That's way more than a little nippy; it is genuinely unusual. The surf quality is poor. Not a great kick-off.

Sunday the 19th sees the swell holding around 5ft to 6ft but on a short 7-second period, with cross winds at 12 to 16 mph. It’s choppy and uninviting. Monday the 20th has a marginally better morning with lighter cross winds at 6 mph, and 6ft swell at 8 seconds, but the report still says 'poor surf conditions' in the afternoon. Tuesday the 21st the waves crash down to 2ft, though it is a long 16-second period from the SW. But messy cross-onshore wind keeps it from being attractive. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd offer a slight lift to 4-4ft, period 9 seconds. Wednesday morning actually gets an offshore wind from the WNW at 6 mph, which would make it glassy. The energy is around 442, still moderate. But the call is still marginal to poor. That’s a tough one to sell.

Late in the first week into the weekend of the 25th, a new long period groundswell of 21-22 seconds from the WSW/SW arrives, with energy jumping to 828 by Saturday afternoon. That’s a lot of power for a point break. But the wave height stays tiny – only 2ft to 3ft – and the wind is cross-onshore at 9 to 12 mph. So, just a tease. Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th settle into 3ft of long period SW swell, with the wind easing to a light offshore or light cross at 6 mph. The energy is in the 600s. The conditions are becoming a bit cleaner. Monday the 27th is your best bet this whole run. It is not a classic, but the conditions are the most favorable we get.

From Tuesday the 28th onward, it is a slow bleed. Swell drops to 3ft or less, period shortens, energy declines into the 200s and 300s, and poor surf conditions dominate all the way through to August 2nd. The second week is basically a write-off.

So, overall: there are no true standout days. The water is unusually cold, the wind is often wrong, and the quality never clicks into gear. The most promising window is Monday morning the 27th, when the wind is light and offshore. It is not going to be a day to write home about, but if you need to get wet, that's your play.

Rusty.

Read more