Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First up, we’re looking at Otter Rock, a point break that breaks fairly consistently, but overall this 16-day stretch is a bit of a mixed bag. The water is sitting at 56.5°, which is about 2.8° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s noticeably chilly, so you’ll want the thick rubber if you’re paddling out.

We kick off on Monday the 31st of August with a small, weak 3.6ft NW swell at 10 seconds, but the cross-on wind makes it messy. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are a write-off: onshore winds and building, unruly swell. By Thursday morning the 3rd, the swell bumps up to 8.2ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds and moderate cross-onshore wind – the combined energy hits 1874 (moderate to strong) but the conditions are poor, so it’s not one for the logbook. Friday the 4th is still marginal with 5.2ft and cross-on breeze.

Now, here’s the standout. Saturday morning, the 5th of September. That's the one. The swell drops to 2.6ft from the SW, but the period goes deep to 16 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, meaning proper shape and energy in the water. The wind goes glassy, NNW at just 3 mph. Combined energy is 634 (moderate). It’s a classic Otter Rock point day: clean, lined up, and manageable. This is your window. The afternoon gets choppy again, so make the most of the morning.

After Saturday, we hit a long dry spell. From Sunday the 6th right through to Thursday the 10th of September, the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, the swell drops to under 3ft for days, and the chop takes over. The 9th and 10th see a bump in NW swell – up to 5.9ft and 6.6ft – but the period is short and the wind is messy, so the quality is poor. There are no real recommendations in there.

From the 11th through to the 13th of September, it stays small and choppy. Not worth the paddle. Then, on Monday morning the 14th of September, the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the NNE at just 3 mph, with a 2ft SW groundswell (13 seconds, 213 combined energy), and it cleans up nicely. That’s a good, clean little session for the longboard or a fun mid-length. Tuesday the 15th of September morning is another highlight: glassy conditions with a light SE wind at 3 mph, and a 3.9ft WNW swell at 12 seconds. The wave energy is moderate (435), and it’s clean – that’s a really solid option for a morning paddle.

Overall, the two best windows are the glassy Saturday morning the 5th of September, and the clean Tuesday morning the 15th of September. Everything else is either too windy, too small, or too chopped out.

Read more