United States · North America
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Cannon Beach is a scenic, beginner-friendly beach break on the northern Oregon coast, famous for the massive Haystack Rock sea stack that punctuates the wide sandy beach. The wave breaks across a gently sloping expanse of compacted sand, producing soft, crumbling waves that roll rather than pitch. The setting is spectacular: rugged sea stacks, dense Pacific Northwest forest, and dramatic winter storm light. This is a cold-water learning environment with genuine character.
North-westerly to westerly groundswells arrive consistently from October through April, generated by North Pacific storm systems. The beach's gentle gradient means the waves break far from shore, dissipating energy as they roll in. Summer brings smaller, less frequent swells but warmer weather. Easterly offshore winds provide the cleanest conditions but are uncommon; early mornings before the prevailing westerly establishes offer the best window.
The wide beach offers multiple peaks spread across a long stretch of sand. The area near Haystack Rock tends to have slightly more defined banks. Beginners should stay in the reformed whitewater close to shore. More experienced riders can sit on the outer bars where the green faces offer longer, unbroken rides. The peaks shift with the tides and sand movement.
The water is cold year-round (10-14C). Rip currents develop during larger swells, particularly in the channels between sandbars. Sneaker waves (unexpectedly large surges) occur on this coastline and have swept people from the beach. Never turn your back on the ocean. The tidal range is significant and intertidal rocks become exposed at low tide near the headlands. Logs and debris from winter storms can be present in the impact zone.
Multiple car parks serve the beach along Hemlock Street. The beach is flat and immediately accessible. Facilities include toilets and seasonal lifeguard presence. Surf rental is available from a few shops in town. The main beach is a short walk from the town centre.
Cannon Beach is a popular tourist destination but the surf crowd is small. Even on good days, expect only 5-15 surfers in the water. The cold water and inconsistent conditions keep dedicated surfers at better breaks further south. The vibe is relaxed and uncrowded.
A full 5/4mm wetsuit with hood, boots, and gloves is essential year-round. This is cold Pacific Northwest water that never warms significantly. A longboard or foam board maximises wave count on the gentle, rolling faces. The best surf arrives during autumn and winter storms, but conditions deteriorate rapidly as the storm arrives. Time your session for the window before a front, when the swell is building but the offshore wind still holds. Haystack Rock and its tidepool ecology are protected; maintain distance and never climb on it.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 29 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Cannon Beach. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Cannon Beach is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Slim pickings. Only worth it if you are gagging for a wave. Short-period chop. The waves lack any real push. Light offshore grooming the faces nicely. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives.
Looking clean - lifeguarded, sandy bottom.
Reduced water clarity: ~2m visibility
Elevated phytoplankton detected, possible algal bloom
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Cannon Beach