The PNW can be a dreamy place to surf. It can also be hell. There is no shortage of swell. You can count on your hand the number times a year it gets completely flat. The water temp stays pretty cold all year. But you can also experience 45F water in June and 60F water in Feb. You have to pay attention to the currents and wind patterns to predict water temp. Then you have lots of winds. So you need headlands, jetties, coves etc to hide from giant storm swells and winds, and frankly there are not enough of these. Typically it is North wind Spring through Fall. Then a few months of offshore East winds and South all winter with a few offshore days.
We have some world class surf spots, but lots and lots of open featureless beach break. There is a lot to explore and still some pretty low key spots but the general rule of thumb is 'don't leave waves to look for waves.' You will mostly have to surf the same dozen or so spots everyone else surfs. Some are very welcoming, others are insanely crowded and others you are going to get into some level of altercation just by paddling out. You will often see perfect big empty surf and wonder why no one is on it and then find out the hard way, why. Lots of water, short period swell, harsh rips and small windows of good surf.
However, when the swell is small enough and the winds ease up you have hundreds of potential peaks up and down the coast. Some of my most memorable sessions have been finding perfect little sandbars with just a couple of friends. Its worth poking around. Sometimes, you score insane waves by accident. You find the right jetty on the right day with no one around but the seals (and whatever is chasing them).
Portland is not the best place to be a surfer but you can get to most of the best PNW spots for weekend strikes no problem. Seaside is about 1hr 45 mins away, Lincoln City a little more. There are more remote spots to scope around Coos Bay and the south coast. Finally, you can go up to WA and Van Isle where the giant winter swells wrap in to become perfect little boulder point breaks.... but good luck on timing those properly...
If you come here. A good hooded 4/3mm is mostly OK. Bring boards with more volume than you might think you need. You will paddle. A lot. A quiver is necessary. You'll need a high volume groveler or longboard for summer days, a beefy semigun for winter chaos and hopefully, a performance board for the days you really score. A lot of our waves are big and mushy so don't expect legit barrels except for a few notable spots where you will not be welcomed. Localism is real here. Some of these dudes live in the 1980s and will harass the shit out of you. Cars have been vandalized. Violence does occur. Learn ahead of time what you could be dealing with and time your paddle out accordingly. Generally speaking unless you are at a well established spot with a crowd don't paddle out on a group of three grumpy dudes who had it to themselves before you showed. Go to the next peak down...
I've surfed here 20 years and this coast still surprises the shit out of me. I live for the days where the bros and I stumble on our own remote peak and surf our brains out for hours. Still happens. If all else fails bring your skateboard, hiking boots or fishing rod. The PNW coast is a mind-melter on all fronts.
Topic: Surfing (Read 31932 times)