Port Orford • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific storm track loads up from autumn through early spring, and Port Orford feels the pulse. Average swells climb to 7-10ft (2.1-2.9m) with periods of 11.7-12.9s, producing the most powerful groundswell of the calendar year. The catch is direction: the wave rose is dominated by W/WNW/NW energy, while the southerly angles that suit this SSE-facing coastline are scarce. When a front clears and the wind clocks into the N/NW offshore quadrant, the long-period walls can be genuinely heavy; these are the windows that make winter worth the rain.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)

The shoulder seasons bring a much better size-to-quality balance. Swell heights drop to 5-7ft (1.6-2.2m), periods hold in the 10.6-11.7s range, and ideal offshore winds occur 41-44% of the time. With the North Pacific High starting to ridge in, NNW/N winds become frequent, keeping the surface clean while enough WNW/SW wrap energy remains to keep the lines moving. For everyday surfing, these are the most dependable months.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is small and grovel-y. The Aleutian low weakens, and average swell heights bottom out at 4-5ft (1.4-1.6m) with periods of 9.4-10.0s. Although N/NNW offshore winds are most consistent, the lack of meaningful southerly swell leaves Port Orford soft and inconsistent. It's a longboard/summer-grovel period, with occasional fun waves when a late-season SSW/SW groundswell sneaks in under a clean northwest breeze.