Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Otter Rock.

Honestly, for the first week or so, it’s pretty grim. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the water is absolutely freezing – we’re talkin’ 49°F with a massive anomaly of -9°F, far colder than usual for this time of year. That’s not just a little nippy, that’s a full-on winter wetsuit and booties situation.

We kick off Thursday the 30th of July with some waist-high swell, around 3ft from the SW, but it’s wrapped in a cross-onshore breeze that’s killing any hope of clean waves. The combined swell energy is moderate at 414, but with that wind, it’s just not worth it. Friday and Saturday are more of the same – small, choppy, and messy. Saturday the 1st of August sees a brief spike of 3ft from the W, but the period drops to a weak 8 seconds, so it’s just crumbly and weak.

Sunday the 2nd through Tuesday the 4th bring a bit more size, with the swell bumping up to 5ft–6ft from the WNW/NW, but the winds are fresh and cross-shore, making it lumpy and hard to read. The energy is building – hitting 481 on Sunday afternoon – but the quality just isn’t there. This is looking more like a kite session than a surf session right now.

Then we hit Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell pushes into the 7ft–8ft range from the NW, and the combined energy jumps to 903, which is strong moderate. But again, the wind stays cross-onshore, so it’s gonna be a choppy, blown-out mess for most of the day. Not what we’re after.

The standout window starts to show itself on Friday the 7th of August. Early morning, the wind drops right off – just 3 mph from the WSW, light cross-onshore. The swell is a solid 8ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a hefty 1105. That’s proper groundswell with some punch. The conditions will be glassy at first, with just small ripples on the face. For a point break like Otter Rock, that long-period swell (10 seconds) should wrap in with some decent shape. It’s on the bigger side, bordering expert territory at 8ft, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, this Friday morning is the best we’re gonna see in this stretch. Crowds are often at Otter Rock, so get out early.

After that, Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th stay in the 7ft–8ft range from the NW, but the wind picks back up, keeping things cross-onshore and sloppy. The energy stays strong (over 1000), but the quality drops. The rest of the second week sees the swell slowly fade back down to waist-high and shifty by Thursday the 13th of August, with wind once again ruining any chance of a clean wave.

So, if you’re patient, wait for that Friday the 7th of August morning. That’s your shot. The rest of the 16-day run is mostly a write-off for clean surf at Otter Rock.

Rusty.

Read more