Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Port Orford, and I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and uninspiring. There’s some swell around, but it’s mostly small and weak, and the wind is a constant factor. The water temp is running about average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

The first real standout, and honestly the best we’ve got, is on Monday, August 24th. We’ve got a long-period groundswell from the SW, with a period of 18 seconds, pushing in at around 2 ft to 2 ft. The combined swell energy is moderate (418 on the morning, 445 on the afternoon). Now, the waves are small, but that 18-second period is a thing of beauty – it’ll create some proper, well-shaped little lines. The wind is gentle offshore from the N, which will keep the faces clean. It’s a bit of a tease, but for those on a longboard or a log, this is the pick of the bunch. Remember, Port Orford is inconsistent, so this little window is a gift.

The next good window rolls around on Monday, August 31st. We’ve got a similar story – a long-period swell from the WNW, around 4 ft, with a period of 13 to 14 seconds. The energy is moderate to strong (621 in the morning, 576 in the afternoon). This is a bit more size, and the wind is light offshore in the morning turning to a gentle offshore in the afternoon. It’ll be clean, and those longer-period waves will have some push. This is your best bet for a decent session.

Before that, we’ve got a long stretch of mediocrity. From Wednesday, August 19th, right through the weekend, it’s all small, short-period slop from the WNW and NW. The winds are offshore, so it’s clean, but the wave energy is low (under 400) and the period is short, around 7-11 seconds. The waves will be weak and crumbly. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it. The weekend of the 23rd sees a bit of a bump in size – up to 8 ft on Sunday afternoon – but it’s a short-period, windswell mess with a strong offshore wind. That’s going to be blown out and choppy, really only for the experts, and even then, it’s not great.

The week of the 26th drops off again into tiny, weak SW groundswell, but it’s just too small to get excited about. Then we get a brief pulse of short-period NNW swell from the 28th to the 30th, with sizes around 6 ft to 6 ft, but the period is a pathetic 6-8 seconds. The wind is howling offshore, so it’s clean, but the waves will be steep, fast, and close out. It’s a tough paddle for not much reward.

After the good day on the 31st, it all goes to hell again. The wind swings onshore from the SSW, and we get rain and sloppy, blown-out conditions through the first few days of September. The swell is there, but it’s a complete write-off for clean surfing.

So, to sum it up: the best bet for a good surf is Monday, August 24th for the tiny, clean, long-period groundswell, and Monday, August 31st for a slightly bigger, cleaner session. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a waiting game. Hang in there, the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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