Port Orford - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific roars to life as winter storms deepen the Aleutian low, sending pulse after pulse of long-period, XL groundswell toward the Oregon coast. Average wave heights hover in the 2.5-2.9m range, with periods routinely exceeding 12 seconds. This is when Port Orford lives up to its reputation as a heavy-water arena. The dominant swell arrives from the WNW and NW, wrapping into the SSE-facing bight with enough energy to light up the main peak. However, the wind is a fickle beast - ideal offshore N to NNW flow occurs only 28-34% of the time, with onshore southerlies often spoiling the party. When the stars align - a robust high pressure over the interior and a passing low to the north - you get clean, powerful walls that demand respect.

Fair Surf Season (April, May & September)

As the jet stream relaxes and the Aleutian low weakens, swell heights drop to the 1.6-2.2m range and periods shorten to 10-11 seconds. The trade-off comes from improving wind statistics: offshore flow now blows 41-44% of the time, thanks to a strengthening North Pacific high that funnels clean N to NNE winds into the coast. Swell directions shift slightly toward the NW and NNW, delivering punchier, more predictable surf that is still plenty fun for shortboards and step-ups. These shoulder months often serve up the best combination of size, shape, and glassy conditions.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer settles over the Northeast Pacific, and the swell machine downshifts into neutral. Average wave heights bottom out at 1.4-1.6m, with periods of 9-10 seconds - typical of shorter-period, local windswell mixed with background NW swell. While the offshore wind consistency remains decent (35-43% ideal), the lack of power means many days feature small, fun-sized waves that are best for longboards and grovelers. The dominant swell direction shifts even further north to NW and NNW, which can struggle to wrap into Port Orford with any real authority. That said, when a rare summer pulse pushes heights into the 1.5-2m range, the combo of clean winds and warm weather makes for unforgettable sessions.

May: Summer Premiere

Swell height settles to 1.7m (average) with a 10.7s period - borderline average, punchy, rideable. The dominant swell direction is WNW (29.7%), followed by W (21.4%) and NW (20.9%). Offshore flow peaks at 44% ideal, the highest of any month, driven by strong N winds (30.1%) and NNW (14.4%). Southerly onshores drop to just 9.3%. The waves are smaller but often glassy and fun, perfect for logging or groveling on a shortboard. Look for the bigger NW pulses to push heights into the good, solid, rippable territory.