Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for our local stretch.

Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a slow start. The first few days are a write-off for quality surfing. We’ve got some swell, but the conditions are just ordinary. The highlight of the whole outlook is a short window around Monday, July 6th. That morning, Port Orford is looking like the pick. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell out of the NNW, and the wind is a clean offshore breeze from the north at 16 mph. The wave energy is moderate (658), and the swell period is a bit short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but it’s the best we’ll see. The water is sitting at 53°, which is a whopping 4° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a real shock to the system, so don’t forget the booties. It’s clean, it’s offshore, and it’s the one session to target.

After that, things get messy again. The swell builds through the 5th and into the 6th, but by the afternoon of the 6th it’s already dropping off. The 7th and 8th have some small, ordinary surf with moderate offshore winds, but nothing to write home about. From the 9th through the 12th, it’s a long stretch of really poor conditions. The wind is howling from the north at 19 to 25 mph, and while it’s offshore, it’s so strong it’s hard to paddle into. The swell is small and weak, with combined energy values mostly in the 200-300 range. That’s a rough few days.

Then we get a little tease around Monday, July 13th. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the WNW with a longer period of 12 seconds, giving it some real grunt. The combined energy hits 743, which is solid moderate energy. But the wind is still a fresh 22 mph offshore, and the data flags it as marginal. It’s a promising-looking swell that’s going to be hard to enjoy because of the wind. It’s a looker, but not a surfer, if you know what I mean.

The middle of the second week is all over the place. Tuesday the 14th has a 7ft NNW swell but with a short 6-second period and strong wind – that’s a washing machine. Wednesday the 15th has a weird one: a 6ft NNW swell in the morning, then a tiny 2ft swell in the afternoon but with a very long 19-second period. That long-period groundswell will be breaking straight at the beach, but it might wrap into a point or reef. The wind is still strong offshore, so it’s a tough call.

The final days, from the 16th to the 18th, are a complete letdown. The wind swings onshore and cross-onshore, the swell is small at 3-3ft, and the conditions are poor. The very last session on Saturday, July 18th morning, shows a tiny 3ft WNW swell with a 16-second period and light cross-offshore wind. The data says “expect good surf conditions,” but with such a small swell and a long period, it’s going to be very inconsistent and small. Not one to get excited about.

So, bottom line: get your fix on Monday morning, July 6th at Port Orford. That’s the standout. After that, it’s a lot of wind and poor quality, with a few tempting but ultimately frustrating swells. The water is going to feel like a freezer compared to normal, so be ready for that.

Rusty.

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