Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Port Orford is a real mixed bag. We’re looking at a long stretch of very small, ordinary surf before things potentially get interesting for the experts later on. Let’s break it down.

First up, we’ve got a tiny window of clean surf right at the start. Monday the 24th of August is your best early bet. It’s not big, with a 2ft groundswell from the SW, but that period is a very long 18 seconds. That long period means it’ll have some shape and energy, and the combined energy is moderate (409-404). The wind is glassy to light cross-off, so it’ll be clean. Port Orford is a sheltered spot, so this is a rare treat. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

Then we hit a wall. From Tuesday the 25th right through to the end of the month, it’s a write-off. The wind is ugly, onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is weak and short period. This is a real bummer of a stretch. The forecast confidence is high for this being poor, so don’t bother.

We get a slight reprieve starting Thursday the 27th into the weekend. The wind goes offshore, nice and clean, but the swell is still tiny – 2ft. The combined energy is moderate (268-333), but it’s just not enough to get excited about. It’s surfable, but ordinary. Saturday afternoon the 29th goes flat with zero energy.

Sunday the 30th sees a change. The wind is still offshore, but the swell jumps to 6ft to 6ft from the NNW. However, the period is a terrible 6 seconds. That’s short-period windswell, and with the combined energy in the moderate range (264-301), it’s not going to be good quality. Kite surfers might be having a field day, but for paddle surfing, it’s a pass.

The start of September is more of the same mixed-up junk. The only standout is on Thursday the 3rd of September, but it’s a tricky one. The morning brings a 5ft NW swell (10 seconds) with moderate offshore wind, giving a strong combined energy of 527. That’s a solid option for advanced surfers. The afternoon, however, is a weird one: a 3ft SW groundswell with a very long 19-second period, but the wind is a stiff 30 km/h offshore. The combined energy is a massive 836 – that’s strong wave energy – but the period is so long that at a beach/reef setup like Port Orford, it might just break too straight. The fresh offshore wind could keep it clean, but it’s a marginal call.

After that, things get big and raw. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September see 7ft to 8ft NNW swell, but with a short 7-second period. The combined energy is high (494-642), and the wind is strong offshore. This is expert-only territory. The waves will be powerful, choppy, and closing out. Not for the faint of heart.

Sunday the 6th of September is the best of the big stuff. A 7ft NW swell with a 9-second period and moderate offshore wind gives a strong combined energy of 738. The conditions are clean, and the period is long enough to offer some shape. For experienced surfers, this is the standout of the whole forecast. Expect it to be powerful and consistent. After that, the swell drops right back down to ordinary, small surf for the rest of the window.

So, to wrap it up: the first half of the forecast is mostly a bust. The clear winner for the average surfer is Monday the 24th of August for some clean, long-period runners. For the experts, circle Sunday the 6th of September for a powerful, clean session. Everything else is a gamble or a straight-up miss.

Rusty.

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