Pacific City

Nestled against the dramatic backdrop of Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City offers a welcoming, flat-bottomed beachbreak that rolls across soft sand. Waves peel both right and left, but this is no freight train—it’s a forgiving, user-friendly setup that prioritizes fun over fury. The waves are generally soft and playful, ideal for surfers seeking smooth, approachable rides rather than heaving, hollower freight. The inside sandbars see steady traffic, as the breakers remain gentle and consistent. But when a decent swell pushes in, a more consequential right emerges off the barren cape, offering longer lines and a bigger stage for those willing to paddle a little farther out. Pacific City is where surfability meets scenery—easygoing, accessible, and never intimidating.

Best Surf Season (October - March)

Pacific City is a west-facing slab into the North Pacific, and the winter months are when this stretch of Oregon coast roars to life. The Aleutian Low cranks up, strong extratropical storms parade across the North Pacific, and the average surf height jumps from around 5ft (1.5m) in September to 6-9ft (1.8-2.7m) from October through March. W, WNW, and WSW swells dominate the waverose, which is exactly the window this beach needs. Periods average 11-13 seconds, so the energy is powerful and long-period. More importantly, ideal offshore wind windows from NE to ESE are much more common in this half of the year - 25-35% of the time - giving you clean, racy peaks between frontal passages. When a cold front passes and high pressure builds behind it, the combination of big W/WNW swell and offshore east wind is nothing short of epic.