Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, let's talk Otter Rock. We've got a couple of weeks of surf ahead, but it’s a real mixed bag. For a point break that usually dishes out some fun walls, you're gonna have to read the conditions like a tide chart. The water temp is about 56°F, which is a couple of degrees cooler than normal, so don't even think about paddling out without a good spring suit or a steamer.

We start proper on Monday, September 14. Sunday the 13th is just choppy, cross-onshore junk, so skip it. Monday morning is the first real winner. There’s a clean 4 ft swell out of the NW with zero wind – glassy as a window. That's rare, and it'll make for some super clean, long rides. The energy is moderate at 291, so there's a bit of push but nothing too heavy. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s a bit more of a windswell, but on a glassy point, who cares? It’ll be plenty fun.

Tuesday the 15th through Thursday the 17th gets average. The swell hangs around 3 ft to 6 ft from the NW, but the wind turns cross-shore or onshore, adding bumps and chop. Wednesday afternoon jumps to 6 ft with a 25 km/h cross-wind – the energy goes up to 410, but it’s gonna be lumpy and messy. Not worth the paddle unless you like fighting chop.

Then we hit a lull in the second week. From Saturday the 19th to Monday the 21st, the swell drops to a tiny 1 ft to 2 ft out of the WSW. The period is long, over 17 seconds, so it's proper groundswell, but there's just no size. Tuesday the 22nd brings a real pulse: 7 ft at 12 seconds out of the WNW. The energy jumps to 1396 – that's strong. It’s a legit swell, but it’s a bit much for beginners and the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it'll be lumpy. This one's for the experienced crew.

If you can wait, Wednesday the 23rd of September is the absolute standout. The morning shows 5 ft out of the WNW with a 10-second period. The wind is dead calm out of the NE – glassy perfection. The energy is a solid 669 – moderate to strong – so there's some real push behind it. This is the best window of the whole outlook. After that, Thursday the 24th brings another pulse up to 7 ft out the WNW, but the wind swings cross-shore from the SSW, adding chop. Still, for the strong swimmers, there'll be some heavy waves.

We fade out after that. Friday the 25th drops back under 4 ft with mostly choppy winds. The last blip of interest is Sunday the 27th – a tiny 2 ft swell out of the WNW with a very long 19-second period, and dead calm conditions in the morning. It’ll be glassy clean, but tiny. For a log, it'll be heaven. But if you want to get your head wet on a real wave, Wednesday the 23rd is the one.

Rusty.

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