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 Oregon
Coast Overview Related Links: The Gorge, Washington The Oregon Coast has got to be one of the most beautiful and rugged coastlines in the United States. It is also home to some great wave sailing. Conditions vary from site to site, day to day, and season to season, so this is a rough guide to sailing the coast. Some general rules are: 1. The farther south you go, the stronger wind is and more frequent it blows. 2. I-5 is the quickest way (from The Gorge) to reach the southern coast sailing sites. 3. Lincoln City is the easiest drive to the coast. 4. North coast sites blow later in the day (if at all) and lighter than those on the central coast. 4. The water is COLD most of the time, there are strong currents if there is any surf at all, and yes, there are sharks. 5. Know your limits. If in doubt, don’t go out, there may be no one to save you. That said, the Oregon Coast has some incredible sailing – beautiful, uncrowded sites, clean beaches, and strong winds. North Coast  The
summer beach town of Seaside is an easy drive from Portland on highway
101. The town is quite big, and has all the amenities you need, though it is
busy in the summer and lodging can be hard to find. The wind is side-side
onshore along a long sandy beach, and is often stronger than the section of
coast that lies between Seaside and Lincoln City. There is some really good
surfing here too, but a very local crowd is often found at the breaks. The
nearby town of Cannon Beach to the south is sailable too, but the town has
taken steps to maintain its “charm” and you will politely be asked to move
along if you sleep in your van there. Manzanita is a very quaint
coastal town and very popular coastal site with a long sandy beach. There is a
large headland to the north of the beach that blocks the biggest chop and wind
swell, but the wind direction makes this less of a down-the-line kind of place.
The jumping however is exceptional.
Oceanside is about 12 miles west of Tillamook and has a committed
following. There is limited parking and a scramble with your gear to get down
to the beach, but the sailing is great. Lighter winds and a smaller crowd makes
for an intimate experience with the Pacific. The drawback is that you may wait
all day for nothing. The wind often doesn’t come up until 3 or 4pm, and is
lighter than most of the other sailing sites so the sessions are shorter. There
is only 1 bar and 1 restaurant in Oceanside, and a convenience store in nearby
Netarts, so you’ll need to go to Tillamook to get anything substantial. There
also are no surf shops in the area, unlike most of the other coastal towns.Central Coast Lincoln City, another large beach town usually has surf when everywhere else is flat. It has a long sandy beach for launching into strong waves and side-onshore wind. Next is Newport. Newport has some of the cleanest wave sailing on the coast. The rock jetties that jut out into the ocean stop all the chop, so sailing on the south side of them is clean. To get to the launch, drive through the ”recreation” area (sand dunes) until you reach the jetty, then drive out onto it as far as you dare. You are allowed to camp on the jetty, but it is cold and very exposed. There is also a long walk with your gear to get to the water, but once there the waves are clean with good wind filled in to the beach. Not too much is know about Neptune, but some longtime gorge rippers are rumored to swear by it. Florence is another popular site on the coast with conditions and set up similar to Newport. South Coast
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Floras
Lake is a smallish, shallow lake on the southern Oregon coast, and is
the place to sail when everything else is out of control. It gets much of
the strong winds of the southern coast without the surf. Cape
Sebastian is just north of the Pistol River sailing area. The winds of
Cape Sebastian are more side shore, and the surf cleaner due to a headland to
the north. However, there are numerous “rocks” the size of houses and
buildings that make wind is a little gustier, and the current weirder. Not to
mention the risks if you should “brush” one of these giants. Pistol
River is probably the most popular site on the southern coast, with
large, strong surf, strong winds and an impressive current. Lots of parking and
room to stash gear in the dunes makes it a great place to spend the day.
However, there are issues regarding the dunes and the habitat of sea birds that
may close the site to the public. Please check before you
go. 