Surf: General: Agate Beach is another fetch of whimsical sandbars with mountains and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the north, protected from the N wind -- the farther up the beach you go, the better. Near the head, there's a rip current that serves as a nice paddling escalator. Tides: High Size: Thigh high-overhead high Wind: E Swell: W, SW Bottom: Mostly sand Paddling: Not too bad. Spot Rating: Fun. Access: For South Beach, exit Highway 101 into the signed South Beach State Park street and park in the large, paved parking lot. For Agate Beach, turn west onto NW Oceanview Drive, just north of Newport, onto the Agate Beach Wayside. For Moolack Beach, north of town, watch for the brown sign pointing to the dirt parking lot/turnout on the west side of the highway. Crowds: Crowd Factor: South Beach and Agate Beach are regularly surfed whenever the swell is small enough, but there's heaps of room, especially up at Moolack Beach. Local Vibe: Mellow. Environment: Clean. Hazards: None. Season: June-October