Winchester Bay Surf Guide

One of those man-made wonders, a delta of Army Corps rock projects about a 1000yds (910m) into the Pacific on the south side of the mighty Umpqua River entrance, creating another convenient wind block and a good place for sand to pile up and form bars. In this case a reliable, sometimes dredging, righthander that peels away from the jetty in often classic form. A rip usually sets up right along the jetty, providing a convenient conveyance back to the line-up. This is one of Oregon's good big-wave spots on a NW and W swell. Although the sandbars do shift, the place will handle a significantly larger swell than most (if not all) of the state's outside jetty breaks. However, the spot is exposed to S winds; but since most big winter swells are accompanied by S winds, good conditions are rare. On most S to NW swells, a nice left peak sets up a 100yds (90m) to the south. If it's glassy, there's a near-infinite stretch of peaks to the south along the majestic dunes of the treeless Siuslaw National Forest. All tides.

Despite the fact that this spot is visible from Highway 101 (check it from the overlook at the top of the hill just south of Winchester Bay), and the beach is public, you might encounter the odd ugly local. Grin and bear it. Relatively major shark hazard here.