Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here, looking over the next couple of weeks for us at Port Orford. I gotta be straight with you – it's not the prettiest run of swell we've ever seen. We’re looking at quite a few days of just 'ordinary' conditions, so keep your expectations in check.

The water is properly chilly right now. At 50°, that's a solid 7° colder than usual for this time of year. It's not a pleasant surprise – you’ll want a good 5/4 and booties no question.

The first sliver of hope shows up on Saturday the 11th. That afternoon, we get some 5ft swell wrapping in from the WNW with a little bit of life in it (10 seconds). The wind is a light, clean cross-offshore breeze, and it's the one session where the combined energy is pumping at 444 (moderate). It’s not huge, but it’s clean and rideable. That Saturday arvo is easily the pick of the first week.

We get a little spike of longer-period energy around the 15th and 16th – swells from the SW and WNW around 18-20 seconds – but the wind is howling from the N at 22-25 mph. That makes it a messy, blown-out situation for us. It's only interesting if you're into kite surfing, honestly, because paddling into that is a chore, especially when it starts jumping. The Thursday morning of the 16th sees a 8ft NNW swell with a short, dumpy 7-second period and a brutal 25 mph offshore wind. It's not a paddleable wave for most; that’s expert-only territory if you can even get out.

Now, here’s the interesting bit. The morning of Friday the 17th might just be our standout. We get a 3ft swell from the WNW, but with a very long 17-second period. That’s pure groundswell energy. The combined energy reading is huge – over 1250 (strong). The offshore wind is manageable at 16 mph, but it’s a long-period swell which can make a beach break a bit too straight. For a spot like Port Orford, which is sheltered, this long period might actually work in our favor, but keep the tide in mind. It’s a promising call, but being that far out, treat it with a bit of caution. That's our second-week highlight for sure.

After that, we roll into a pretty blank stretch from the 18th onwards. The 20th through the 23rd brings more consistent size – 7ft to 8ft from the NNW – but it's short period windswell (7-8 seconds) with freshening offshore winds. It’ll be bumpy and frustrating. That much size combined with those conditions is more for experts, and even then, not much fun. The crowds at Port Orford can be a factor when it's good, but I don't think we'll have to fight for waves on most of these days.

So bottom line: If you have a window, point your board at Saturday afternoon the 11th for the cleanest smaller waves. If you want to gamble on some serious energy and can handle the fussy long-period swell, keep an eye on Friday morning the 17th. Everything else is a wait-and-see, or a kite session.

Stay stoked.
Rusty.

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