Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for Port Orford. To be honest, looking at the next couple of weeks, the surf is a bit of a tough sell. We’ve got a long stretch of days where the conditions are just too messy to get excited about, but there are a few windows where things might line up if you’re patient.

Right off the bat, there’s a bit of a gap. The first real chance to get wet isn’t until Thursday morning, the 6th of August. We’re looking at a 4ft swell from the NNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s weak and a bit lumpy. The water is a frigid 51°, which is a whopping 6° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a really unusual chill, so bring a thick hood. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze at 9 mph, keeping things clean, but the combined swell energy is weak (341). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon gets a bit better with a straight offshore wind at 12 mph, but the swell period drops to 7 seconds, making it even weaker.

Friday through to the start of the following week is a write-off. The wind is howling offshore at 19 to 22 mph, which is just too strong. Even though there’s swell around, it’s going to be blown out and messy. On Saturday, the 8th, the swell pushes up to 6ft from the NNW, but with a 6-second period and a fresh 19 mph offshore, it’s just a choppy, miserable mess. The combined energy gets up to moderate (457), but it’s not worth paddling out for. This stretch of poor conditions runs hard through until around the 11th of August.

We start seeing a glimmer of hope around the 12th of August, but it’s still marginal. The swell is tiny, under 2ft, and the energy is very weak. The wind stays strong. The 13th and 14th of August bring a bit more size, with swell hitting 7ft to 7ft from the NNW, but it’s still a short-period (6-7 seconds) windswell. The wind is a fresh 22 mph offshore, which means the waves will be clean but blown out and top-heavy. This is expert territory at that size, especially with the short period making it close out quick. The combined energy is strong (up to 528), but the quality is just not there.

Now, the one standout worth keeping an eye on is Tuesday, the 18th of August. The morning starts light with a 3ft swell from the west (14-second period). The wind is variable and light, but it’s the afternoon that has my attention. It goes glassy. A 3ft W swell with a 13-second period, glassy conditions, and a combined energy of 392 (moderate). That’s a proper groundswell. For a break like Port Orford, which is sheltered and points NW, a west swell isn’t the optimum direction, but if it wraps in, those long-period lines could offer some decent shape. The water temperature will still be well below average. Crowds are often an issue here, so you might have some company if the word gets out.

The following days, the 19th and 20th of August, are also surfable with clean 3ft to 3ft swells but the wind gets stronger again. The 21st of August sees the swell drop out completely.

So, to sum it up: the first week is basically a write-off. The best bet of the whole 16-day window is the afternoon of the 18th of August. If you can wait for that, you’ll be rewarded with glassy, long-period groundswell. It’s not going to be big, but it’ll be the cleanest we see. Don’t hold your breath for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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