Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Port Orford. Gotta be straight with you – this one’s a tough stretch. The swell is there, but the quality and conditions are a real battle for most of the 16 days.

First off, this spot is sheltered and inconsistent, so it’s not the first place you’d normally pin your hopes on. The water’s sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a 2° chill, so you’ll want a decent hood.

We start with Sunday morning, August 2nd. The wind is offshore from the north at 19 mph, but the swell is a messy 2 ft from the WNW at a short 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak (487), and honestly, it’s a marginal call. The tide is likely messing with it. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 25 mph, which is strong offshore and clean, but the swell jumps to 2 ft from the NNW at just 7 seconds. That’s a lot of bumpy, short-period energy (1022 combined energy), making it hard to paddle into and not much fun.

Monday the 3rd keeps the theme going. Morning has 2 ft of NNW swell at 7 seconds (638 combined energy), with a fresh 22 mph offshore wind. It’s clean, but the period is too short for quality. The afternoon sees the swell hit 3 ft (919 combined energy) – that’s solid, but with the same short period and strong wind, it’s poor surf. This is getting into the territory where it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The whole week is a grind. Tuesday the 4th, Wednesday the 5th, and Thursday the 6th all have moderate offshore winds, but the swell is mostly in the 1 ft to 2 ft range with short periods (7-8 seconds). The combined energy stays moderate (352 to 756). The best of this bad stretch is Wednesday afternoon, August 5th, with 2 ft from the NW at 8 seconds and moderate offshore wind (461 combined energy). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Thursday afternoon, August 6th, also offers a decent window with 2 ft at 8 seconds (424 combined energy).

Then from Friday the 7th through the weekend, the wind cranks back up to 19-25 mph. The swell stays around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the period drops to 6-7 seconds. Combined energy is higher (414 to 647), but the quality is poor or marginal. The afternoon of Saturday the 8th has 2 ft from the north at 7 seconds (647 combined energy), but with a strong 25 mph offshore wind, it’s a chore to get out and the waves are just lumpy.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are still marginal, with 2 ft to 2 ft swell and moderate to fresh offshore winds. The energy is moderate (456 to 617). The first real standout of the whole outlook comes on Wednesday morning, August 12th. We’ve got 2 ft from the NNW at 8 seconds with a moderate offshore wind (16 mph). The combined energy is solid (659), and it’s the best call of the period. The wind is clean, the swell is a manageable size, and it’s the most promising session on offer.

Thursday morning, August 13th, is also decent – 2 ft from the NNW at 7 seconds (902 combined energy) with moderate offshore wind. It’s a bit bigger and a touch shorter period, but still a good option.

After that, it fades back into marginal territory. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th have lumpy, short-period swell and fresh offshore winds. There’s a weird little blip Saturday afternoon, August 15th, where the swell drops to 0.8 ft from the WNW with a very long 17-second period (658 combined energy). That’s a groundswell, but it’s tiny and the long period will make it break straight at a beach break. Not worth the paddle.

The final days from Sunday the 16th to Monday the 17th are just more of the same: 2 ft to 2 ft, short period, moderate to fresh offshore winds. Nothing to get excited about.

So, the long and short of it: if you’re desperate, target Wednesday morning August 12th. That’s the pick of a pretty average bunch. The rest is a lot of blown-out, short-period junk or too much wind. It’s not a blank run, but it’s close. The wind is always offshore, which is a bonus, but the swell quality is just not there for most of the window.

Rusty.

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