Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Otter Rock has cookin’ for us over these next couple weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – it’s a rough start. For the first week, we’re mostly seeing poor conditions with a persistent cross-onshore wind messing things up. The swell is small, around 2ft to 3ft, mostly from the SW with some decent period groundswell in the mix, but that wind just won’t let it clean up. The ocean is feeling pretty flat and choppy, and the combined swell energy is weak to moderate, bouncing around the 200s and 300s range. It’s not what you paddle out for.

Now, there’s a real glimmer of hope on Saturday, September 5th. That morning is looking like the standout session of the whole run. We’ve got glassy conditions – dead calm, S wind at 0 mph – and a clean 4ft swell from the NW with a 9-second period. Combined energy is a solid moderate 577. This is the kind of morning where Otter Rock can really shine. The water is much colder than normal for this time of year at 52°, but you won’t care once you get a couple of those lined-up waves. That’s the one to circle on the calendar, folks.

After that, we slip back into the mire. From the 6th through the 9th, it’s mostly marginal, with cross-onshore winds and inconsistent energy. The swell sticks between 4ft and 5ft, but it’s lumpy and choppy. The 7th has some size but the wind is on it, and by the 9th the period jumps way up to 18 seconds on a tiny 2ft SW swell, which – at a point break – can offer some nice lines if you’re patient, but it’s not the kind of day to get excited about. The combined energy stays moderate though, in the 400s and 500s.

Towards the second week, from the 10th and into the 11th, the wind finally starts to relax a bit. We see a few mornings with light breezes and even some offshore or cross-off conditions coming through. The swell stays small, around 2ft to 5ft, but the period holds strong in the groundswell range. The 10th afternoon has a light offshore wind and 2ft from the SW with 16-second period, the combined energy is 614. That’s respectable. The 11th Friday morning has light cross-shore wind, 3ft at 15 seconds – again, clean enough to make the most of it.

But if you can only pick one session in this 16-day window, it’s that glassy Saturday morning on the 5th of September. The rest is mostly waiting for the wind to cooperate. Otter Rock is a fairly consistent point break, so things should shake out, but this forecast is a tough start.

Stay patient.

- Rusty

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