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I admit, the brain freeze is real.
The North Pacific is, in fact, cold enough that a wave crashing over your head might cause a weird headache—like when you eat ice cream too fast. But if you can withstand the initial cold plunge, surfing in Oregon is actually much better than its reputation.
Yes, it’s also true white sharks (what’s so great about ’em?) like the state’s cool coastal waters, rich with sea lions and salmon to snack on. And our beautifully big trees do occasionally end up as massive logs bobbing along the coastline. Fortunately, you are unlikely to encounter either of those aquatic hazards should you decide to surf at the most popular spots a couple of hours from Portland.
Mostly, you’ll just have to contend with the chilly ocean by wearing a decent wetsuit, with or without a hood. I personally consider having cold hands or feet worse than the temporarily frozen noggin you might get when pushing through a first wave or two while paddling out, so no hood for me. But make sure you’ve got gloves and booties in case you need them.
“There’s not a huge difference in temperature year-round,” Lorenzo Virgen tells me as he suits up for the private lesson he’s about to teach at Otter Rock. “But there’s something really rejuvenating about the cold water.”
Surfing since 2019, Virgen comes from a landlocked part of Oregon, but he and his wife always dreamed of living next to the ocean. After they determined they couldn’t afford some place like Hawaii, they decamped to Lincoln City, thinking it would be just a year or two.
“It’s such a great community we quickly got pulled in and have made a lot of friends,” says the 30-year-old instructor for the ZuhG Life Surf Shop (5111 SE Highway 101, Lincoln City, 541-418-2196, zuhglife.com).
A bit farther south down the coast, it quickly becomes apparent just how tight-knit and supportive the local surf scene is here.
No matter if you’re a first-timer or a seasoned surfer new to Oregon, there is probably no better place to start your Pacific Northwest wave-riding odyssey than Ossies Surf Shop (4900 Oregon Coast Highway, Newport, 541-574-4634, ossiessurfshop.com), located just north of Newport across Route 101 from Agate Beach.
Run by Dan Hasselschwert for the past 26 years, Ossies has become a sort of unofficial headquarters for the Oregon surfing community.
The affable 51-year-old former middle school teacher hails from Ohio, a place not especially known for its surfing excellence. But he was always interested in trying the sport and began surfing regularly after moving to Corvallis for a teaching job. Following a few years of driving to the coast every weekend to catch waves, Hasselschwert switched to Waldport and started a surfing club at the middle school there that would eventually lead to him taking over Ossies.
“I looked at the surf shop as fun—I never saw it as my full-time job,” Hasselschwert explains from the store’s rumpled back office.
For more than a decade, he was a serious big wave addict, unlocking access to a massive offshore break by being the first person in the Pacific Northwest to deploy a jet ski to tow surfers out to catch 30-, 40- and even 50-foot swells.
“I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie—the more I surfed, the more challenging waves I wanted,” he says.
But for most people, the much smaller beach breaks at Agate Beach and nearby Otter Rock will more than suffice.
That’s where my sons got their first taste of surfing aside from hopping on a board at a big city standing wave pool. Fortunately, Ossies offers both equipment rentals and lessons tailored to different age and experience levels.
My kids took to the water on a summer day that felt like winter conditions—blustery and overcast. Conversely, I’ve been to the coast in late November and seen beautifully glassy swells break under calm, sunshine-filled skies.
“Always look at the weather before you go out in Oregon,” Hasselschwert sagely counsels.
He contends it’s the occasionally challenging conditions in the Pacific Northwest that have shaped the local surf scene into what it is today. Besides keeping crowds nonexistent to manageable, the chilly ocean filters out anyone lacking a certain level of commitment.
“In other places, like California, everyone is a surfer these days,” he says. “Here, you have to really want it.”
The upside? People surfing the Oregon Coast genuinely seem to support others joining the lineup—you won’t experience the hostile “locals only” mentality that often prevails at good breaks in hotter climes.
And if the warm vibes aren’t enough to ward off a case of North Pacific brain freeze, you can always strap on a neoprene hood.
Still, Hasselschwert emphasizes that to truly embrace surfing in Oregon, you have to learn to love the cold plunge: “To me, it’s kind of refreshing,” he says.
Where to surf
The city of Newport—just over two hours from Portland—is great place to base your surfing expedition this summer. Some of the best breaks for beginners lie just north of town. Both Agate Beach and Otter Rock are good spots to start, as they have fairly consistent swells and are protected from northern winds by rocky headlands. Farther north, check out Cape Kiwanda near Pacific City and Indian Beach beyond Cannon Beach. Remember: It’s always a good idea to check first with at local surf shop if you are not familiar with a particular break.
Ossies Surf Shop (4900 Oregon Coast Highway, Newport, 541-574-4634, ossiessurfshop.com) is the OG of the Newport surf scene. Besides hosting meetings of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, Ossies organizes lots of events throughout the year and has a food truck serving Hawaiian-style plate lunches. Ossies’ knowledgeable and friendly surf instructors include the sons of local legend and former pro surfer Kirk Tice.
Another option for rentals and lessons is Pura Vida (845 1st St., Otter Rock, 541-264-8793, pvsurfshop.com), the closest surf shop to Otter Rock.
What to rent
If you’re an absolute newcomer to surfing, shops will only rent you a soft-top foam board. Don’t fret—these are much better than they used to be! Besides making it less likely you’ll hurt yourself or someone else, they are more buoyant, so it’s easier to catch waves and stand up.
Make sure you get a 4/3 wetsuit built for cold conditions. The numbers refer to the neoprene thickness in millimeters on the body (4 mm) and arms (3 mm). You might get away with a 3/2 wetsuit in summer in Oregon, but you will get colder faster. Booties are highly recommended. Gloves and hoods are optional.
Where to stay
I normally would hesitate to recommend a major hotel chain, but the Best Western Plus Agate Beach Inn (3019 N Coast Highway, Newport, 541-265-9411, bestwestern.com) has plenty of rooms with spectacular ocean views. You can easily stroll straight from the hotel to the sand each morning, and the heated indoor pool that glows in golden hour sunshine is a perfect way to warm up after a chilly surf session. The hotel also offers pet-friendly rooms—though you’ll sacrifice your beach view for Fido.
At the other end of the strand is the Agate Beach Motel (175 NW Gilbert Way, Newport, 541-265-8746,agatebeachmotel.com), which is located conveniently close to Ossies Surf Shop. Perched just above the spot where the shop does most surf lessons, this place has rooms with kitchenettes and nice little patios overlooking the Pacific.
What to eat
A working fishing town, Newport is purportedly the Dungeness crab capital of the world. So it’s safe to say you should try some of the seafood while visiting. Sure, you can go eat a bowl of clam chowder down the street with the rest of the tourists, but at Local Ocean (213 SE Bay Blvd., Newport, 541-574-7959, localocean.net), you’ll feast on fresh-caught fish and incredibly tasty crab cakes. Located just past the kitschy part of the harbor (keep walking past the Ripley’s Believe It or Not!), this employee-owned restaurant and fish market has great food and lovely views of Newport’s cool bridge. For something more casual, head to the unassumingly named Newport Cafe (534 N Coast Highway, Newport, 541-574-6847, thenewportcafe.com)—this quirky greasy spoon has oodles of character and all kinds of seafood and diner fare ready to vanquish your wave-riding hunger. Or go for a hearty, presurf breakfast at Cafe Stefanie (411 NW Coast St., Newport, 541-265-8082) at Nye Beach.
This story is part of Oregon Summer Magazine, our annual guide to refreshing destinations, cool escapes, and the best ways to stay hydrated all summer long. See more stories from Oregon Summer Magazine here, or check this map to see where you can pick up a free copy of the magazine.
