Port Orford Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Port Orford stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, for the first few days, it’s not looking like much to write home about. We’ve got some swell, but it’s pretty average and the conditions are just ordinary. The real standout, and the one you wanna circle on the calendar, is shaping up to be Friday the 24th of July. The morning session is looking like the pick of the whole period. We’ll have a solid 4ft swell from the NW, with a 9-second period, and the wind is offshore and clean. There’s a moderate amount of energy in the water (493), and the break is known to be inconsistent and sheltered from the NW, so it’s a break that needs a bit of luck, but when it’s on, it’s on. The water temp is sitting at 52°, which is a whopping 5° colder than usual for this time of year – so that’s way colder than normal, make sure you’ve got the thickest wetsuit you own.

Saturday the 25th through to the 26th of July, we get a weird mix. There’s a long-period 20-21 second groundswell from the SW, but the swell height is only around 3ft to 4ft. The energy numbers are huge (1258-1299), but the short wave heights and that long period mean it’ll be a bit fat and straight at the beach, and the forecast is marginal. The wind is offshore, but it’s a fresh breeze, which will keep it clean, but it’s not really going to offer much for a paddle surfer.

From the 27th of July right through to the 30th, it’s a dry spell. The wind is howling from the north at 18-22 mph, and the swell is either too small or has no energy. The water’s still cold, and the conditions are just poor. A few days there with scores of zero across the board. The morning of the 30th of July sees a 7ft swell from the north, but it’s a short period of 6 seconds, and the wind is still strong, making it a messy, blown-out affair. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then we get into the first week of August. From the 31st of July through to the 3rd of August, we’ve got a consistent run of 8ft to 8ft swell from the NNW, with a short period of 7-8 seconds. The wind stays offshore, but it’s strong to very strong, particularly on the afternoon of the 1st of August, where it’s a 25 mph strong breeze. That’s a lot of wind. The waves are going to be big and powerful, over 8ft, so this is strictly for experts. The energy is moderate (values between 558 and 874). While the morning of the 31st of July has a "good surf conditions" note, the rest of the run is marginal. The crowd factor at Port Orford is "often," so you’ll likely have company if you’re out there.

So to wrap it up, the best on offer is the morning of Friday the 24th of July. The rest is a lot of waiting and hoping for a clean window, or a test of your big-wave nerve and a strong paddle.

Rusty.

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