Florence

Florence’s South Jetty anchors the Siuslaw River mouth, where two colossal rock jetties corral a sand-bottom playground. The southern structure angles inward, carving out a sheltered nook that funnels wind-swell into tidy lefts and rights just offshore. Consistent and forgiving, this jetty break thrives on a mix of NW to W swell, with cleanest shape on a low to incoming tide and light east or north winds. Beginner-to-intermediate surfers can score mellow peaks, while higher tides open up the inside for longer rides. South winds foul the lineup, but a crisp offshore from the north turns the river-mouth corner into a reliable, protected reef-like wave.

Best Surf Season (October - March)

Along the central Oregon coast, the surf year at Florence is defined by the battle between the North Pacific storm track and the summer marine layer. From October through March, the Aleutian Low ramps up and sends a relentless train of extratropical cyclones across the Pacific, lighting up the west-facing beach with powerful, long-period WNW and W groundswell. These are the months when average swell heights climb into the 8-10ft (2.4-3.0m) range with periods of 12-13s, and the percentage of ideal surf wind reaches its annual maximum near 40%. Despite the cold and wet conditions, this is the time to chase Florence at its best.