Otter Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Otter Rock.

To be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a grind. The wind is almost always cross or cross-onshore, and the swell is messy. There’s no real standout, no clean window that’s going to get the heart pumping. From the start on Sunday, the 2nd of August, right through to Monday the 17th, it’s one poor forecast after another. The only flickers of life are a couple of “marginal” calls, but they’re still far from good.

The water temperature is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing weird there.

The only spot we’ve got to look at is Otter Rock, a point break that’s best with a W swell. The swell we’re getting is mostly NW to NNW, so it’s not hitting the bank right. The combined energy is moderate, hitting values like 515 and 611 early on, but it’s all wind-affected. The swell height hovers around 4 ft to 7 ft, with periods mostly short, between 7 and 9 seconds. That’s weak, wind swell, not the kind of groundswell that makes a point break sing.

The best of a bad lot might be the very last morning on Monday the 17th of August. The wind is a light NW breeze, so it’s just a light cross-onshore with only small wind ripples. The swell is 5 ft from the NW at 8 seconds, with moderate energy (623). It’s still a marginal call, not clean, but at least it’s not howling. For a beginner, that 5 ft is manageable, but with the wind direction, it’s not going to be pretty.

Honestly, for the rest of the period, the wind is up and the surf is poor. The setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session, especially with the consistent cross and cross-onshore winds. Crowds are a regular thing here, but with this forecast, I doubt many will be lining up.

Keep your eyes on the forecast, but right now, I’d leave the boards at home.

Rusty.

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