Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Otter Rock.

Honestly, the next 16 days are a tough watch. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions ahead, with the first decent opportunity not showing up until the morning of Wednesday the 5th of August, and even then it’s only marginal. The water is frigid too, sitting at 49°F with an anomaly of -9°F, which is far colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want the thickest rubber you’ve got.

From the 30th of July through to Tuesday the 4th of August, it’s a write-off. The swell is small, mostly 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is a persistent cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, with figures like 385 and 459, but it’s all junk. The best you could say is that on Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell bumps up to 5ft, but with a 30 km/h cross-shore wind, it’s just lumpy cross-chop. Not worth paddling out.

The first real glimmer comes on the morning of Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell picks up to 7ft from the NW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits a strong 627. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it’s still a bit choppy, but it’s the first time you’ll see a wave with some push. This is the only session that scores a 1 out of 10, meaning it’s marginal and questionable tide conditions. It’s not great, but it’s the best we’ve got in that first week.

The end of the first week and into the second week is messy. Swell hangs around 6ft to 7ft, but the wind is mostly cross-onshore, and the wave energy stays strong (595 to 862). The morning of Friday the 7th of August is a standout, but only because the wind goes light and onshore, which is the best wind direction we see. The swell is 6ft from the NW, period 9 seconds, and the combined energy is 595. It’s marginal, but it’s the cleanest option in the entire forecast. After that, it’s back to choppy, windy conditions through the weekend and into the next week.

Around the 11th of August, the swell drops to 2ft, but the period stretches to 16 seconds, which is a very long period groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (465 to 507), but the wind is cross-onshore, ruining it. That long-period swell would be better at a point or reef, but Otter Rock is a point break, so it might have some shape, but the onshore wind will chop it up.

The only real standout in the whole 16 days is the morning of Friday the 7th of August. It’s not pumping, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see. If you’re desperate, that’s the session to aim for. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. The good news is that Otter Rock is fairly consistent, so it won’t stay this bad forever. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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