Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for Port Orford. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a rough stretch. The forecast is a long, drawn-out affair with very little to get excited about. The water is a chilly 50°, which is a massive 7° colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll be needing a thick wetsuit if you even bother.

The first few days are pretty weak. Tuesday the 28th morning sees a tiny 3ft swell from the WNW with a short period of 9 seconds, and the energy is just weak (94). The wind is a clean cross-off, though, so it’s rideable, but it’s about as average as it gets. Tuesday afternoon picks up a little to 3ft, and the wind goes offshore, which is nice, but the energy is still low (123). This pattern of small, mediocre waves with decent offshore wind pretty much hangs around through the end of July. Wednesday the 29th morning has 4ft at 9 seconds, moderate energy (222), and good offshore wind, but it’s still just "surfable".

Honestly, the standout window, if you can call it that, is around Wednesday the 30th of July and Thursday the 31st. The swell holds around 3ft to 4ft from the NW, with offshore winds, and the energy does get up to a moderate 269 on Wednesday afternoon. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s still very ordinary.

Then we hit a rough patch. From the 1st of August onwards, the wind just cranks on. It’s offshore, yes, but it’s a fresh breeze of 18 to 22 mph, which makes it challenging. The swell gets a bit bigger, hitting 7ft by Monday the 3rd, but that short period of 7 seconds means it’s just a lumpy, messy mess. The combined energy is strong (467 to 795), but with that wind, it’s gonna be a battle. By Tuesday the 4th, the swell is 7ft and the conditions are still marginal. For a spot that’s sheltered and inconsistent, this is a tough period.

The second week is a write-off. The wind stays howling out of the north at 22 to 25 mph, making it brutal. There’s a weird spike on Tuesday the 11th with a 2ft, 20-second swell from the SW, but the energy is still weak (614) and the comment is "marginal". That long period would be a dream at the right reef, but here it’s just not enough size to make it worthwhile.

Bottom line: there’s no real standout surf on offer in this 16-day window. The best you’ll get is a few small, clean waves from the 28th to the 30th of July. After that, you’re better off finding something else to do. The crowds are listed as "often", but honestly, I doubt many will be out there for this.

Rusty.

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