Overview
D River - Lincoln City is a beach break spread along a long, sandy stretch of shoreline, breaking over sand with both lefts and rights. Below the central bluffs the shore is nicely marbled with reef formations, mostly covered by sandbars, and the D River State Wayside sits about midtown where the river flow keeps nudging the bars around, so the setup shifts often. Three resident surf shops give this town a real surf consciousness.
When It Works
The beach draws swell from south through north (S-N), with west (W) swell the best match. It's usable from 0.6 m / 2 ft to 3.7 m / 12 ft and stays moderately consistent. Smaller, clean summer and autumn swells are the time to go, walk in and you can find an uncrowded peak along the beach. At the north end, an outside reef at Roads End holds size with good shape, while a series of beachbreak peaks offers a diverse selection of lefts and rights.
Wind and Tide
Look for east (E) offshore wind to clean it up, and keep in mind it blows out readily once the wind turns. It breaks across low, mid, and high tide, with a rising tide generally the better call.
Local Tips
This is a friendly, beginner-level beach break, and you can expect a moderately busy lineup when it's working. At the far north turnaround in the park, watch for hard-breaking tubes with strong rips and sharks in the water.
Access
There's no public access in midtown, but the most-surfed spots north and south of town have easy parking, including a car park with free parking and roadside parking. Facilities include restrooms, showers, camping, a lifeguard, a surf school, and a surf shop.
