Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at the next couple of weeks for our local waters. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, with a few promising windows but plenty of time where it’s just not worth paddling out.

The first real chance of anything decent kicks off on Friday, 17 July. The swell is small, around 3 ft from the WNW, but the wind is howling out of the north at 16 mph. It’s fresh offshore, so the surface will be clean, but the wave energy is moderate (839) and the period is a very long 17 seconds. That long period groundswell can be tricky at a sheltered spot like Port Orford, often breaking too straight. The water is freezing at 51°F, which is 6°F colder than normal – that’s very unusual, so bring the thickest wetsuit you’ve got.

The weekend of 18-19 July stays similar. Saturday is more of the same, with small to moderate energy and clean offshore winds, but nothing to get excited about. Sunday the 19th sees a jump in size to 8 ft from the NNW, but the period drops to a short 7 seconds. That’s windswell, and with 19-22 mph offshore winds, it’ll be a bumpy, blown-out mess. The combined energy is strong (1115-1171), but the quality is poor.

Monday, 20 July is the best bet in the first week. The swell drops to a more manageable 6-6 ft from the NW, with a period of 8 seconds. The wind goes light, with a gentle breeze from the NNW at 3-9 mph turning cross-offshore. Combined energy is moderate (469-544). It’s not a classic, but it’s the cleanest, most surfable day of the week. The break is inconsistent, so be patient.

Things go downhill from Tuesday, 21 July, through to the end of the month. The swell gets smaller, the wind swings onshore from the south, and the conditions turn poor. From Thursday, 23 July, to Wednesday, 29 July, it’s pretty much a write-off. Gaps of several days with no real recommendations. The wind is often strong offshore from the north, which sounds good, but it’s too strong (22-25 mph) and the swell is tiny or messy. For a few days in the middle, the wind is straight onshore from the south, making it even worse.

Looking into the second week, there’s a glimmer on Saturday, 25 July. The morning shows a very long period swell from the SW (21-26 seconds) with light winds, but the combined energy is strong (1179) and the conditions are only marginal. The afternoon turns back to small, clean, but ordinary waves.

The stand-out, promising but less certain, is Sunday, 26 July. The morning has a 4 ft swell from the SW with a 20-second period and strong combined energy (1322). The wind is fresh offshore from the north at 19 mph. That’s a lot of energy for a small wave, but it could dish up some clean, long lines if the tide plays nice. It’s inconsistent here, so it’s a gamble.

The final day on the chart, Friday, 31 July, sees a pulse of 7 ft from the NNW with a short 8-second period. The wind is fresh offshore, but the combined energy is moderate (688). That’s big enough for a fun session, but the short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy. It’s only for experienced surfers at that size, and the break is inconsistent.

Overall, look for Monday, 20 July for the most reliable clean surf, and keep an eye on Sunday, 26 July for a potentially bigger, cleaner, but more inconsistent swell.

Rusty.

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