Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look what’s on the cards for Otter Rock.

Honestly, for the next ten days or so, it’s a pretty grim outlook for a proper surf. The swell is small and messy, and the wind is mostly junk. We’re staring down a long dry spell until we get near the first week of September. The first real glimmer of anything wavesome doesn’t show up until the 5th of September, which is a solid two weeks away.

Saturday the 22nd of August is just a write-off. Tiny 2ft swell with a short period and cross winds. Straight out the window.

We finally get a moment of pure glass on the morning of Sunday the 23rd of August. The wind goes totally calm, and that tiny 4ft swell cleans right up. It’s not going to be big, but for an hour or two it’ll look like a sheet of glass. That’s your one bright spot in the near term. It gets messy again by the afternoon, so you’d want to be on it early.

After that, the surf basically shuts down. From the 25th through to the end of the month, we’re looking at waist-high dribble with cross-onshore or onshore winds. The water is also particularly cold for this time of year, coming in at 52°, which is much colder than normal.

Then, hold onto your board. Around the 1st of September, there’s a hint of energy building, but the winds are still rotten. The real standout shows up on the 5th and 6th of September. The swell is predicted to jump to 7ft to 8ft from the NW on the 5th of September, with combined energy hitting 1773 to 2082 (moderate to strong). This is big, powerful stuff. By the 6th, it's still a solid 7ft from the NW. However, at this size, Otter Rock is strictly for the experienced crew. It’s also going to have a cross-onshore wind on those days, which will chop it up, so while there’s plenty of water moving, the quality might be a letdown. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the only real size we’ve got coming.

Because Otter Rock is a point break, it can handle a bit of direction, but the optimum swell is from the West. That big NW swell on the 5th and 6th is slightly off that perfect angle, but it’ll still wrap in.

Given the very long period of poor quality and the strong, onshore-influenced winds when it gets big, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for the latter part of the forecast.

For the patient local, that Sunday the 23rd morning is the one to set the alarm for. Everything else is a waiting game for that potential pulse early September, but don't book the day off work just yet.

Rusty.

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