Kayaking the Oregon Coast in the Rain: A Paddler's Guide to Netarts Bay in Wet Season

Why Netarts Bay Deserves a Spot on Your Paddle List

The Oregon Coast gets roughly 70 inches of rain a year, and most people treat November through March like an off-season. For paddlers, that's a mistake.

Netarts Bay is a 2,700-acre saltwater estuary on the north Oregon Coast, tucked between Cape Lookout and the small town of Netarts. It's one of the cleanest estuaries in the state—no major rivers feed it, so the water stays remarkably clear even in wet weather. The bay is shallow, sheltered from open ocean swell by a long sand spit, and rich with marine life year-round: harbor seals haul out on the sandbars, oystercatchers and Caspian terns work the tide flats, and a protected bed of living sand dollars sits in the shallows near the bay mouth.

In wet season, all of that is still here—minus the people. The summer kayak and paddleboard traffic is gone. The crabbing boats thin out. And the bay takes on a different character: moodier light, bigger tidal swings, rain dimpling the surface, and the kind of quiet that makes you hear the ocean crashing on the other side of the spit.

It's not wilderness paddling—Netarts is a small community, and the bay is accessible. But it's the rare coastal paddle where rain actually improves the experience instead of ruining it, as long as your gear is up to the job.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Tide-influenced; stay clear of the bay mouth where outgoing current can pull paddlers toward open ocean. Water type: Saltwater estuary, tidal. Sheltered from ocean swell but exposed to coastal wind. Best for: All skill levels with tidal awareness. Beginners should stay in the upper bay or join a guided tour.

Getting There: Route Details & Coordinates

GPS Coordinates: 45.4370° N, 123.9430° W (Netarts Bay Boat Launch)

• Launch: Netarts Bay Boat Launch, at the end of the bay road near Netarts village. Single-lane ramp with a grassy staging area for kayaks. Alternative launch at Happy Camp public beach at the south end of the road.
• Route: South from the boat launch on an incoming tide, following the main channel along the east shore. Explore the eelgrass flats, oyster beds, and sandbar areas in the mid-bay before turning back on the ebb.
• Return: Reverse course north to the launch on the outgoing tide—or time it to ride the last of the incoming tide south and paddle back at slack.
• Distance: 3–6 miles round trip depending on how far south you push
• Estimated time: 1.5–3 hours
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate — sheltered bay, but tidal current near the mouth is strong and dangerous. Do not paddle near the bay entrance.

The upper bay near Netarts is the most protected section—ideal for beginners and for days when the wind is up. As you paddle south, the bay widens and the sandbars emerge at lower tides, giving harbor seals their haul-out spots and exposing the oyster flats that Netarts is known for. The water stays shallow enough through most of the bay that you can see bottom in the channels even on overcast days.

Pro tip: Time your launch to the incoming tide. Let the flood carry you south into the bay, explore at slack, and paddle back north as the ebb starts. Fighting an outgoing tide on the return is miserable, and the current near the bay mouth can genuinely sweep a kayak toward the ocean. Check the NOAA tide predictions for Netarts Bay before every paddle.

View Netarts Bay Boat Launch on Google Maps

Best Time to Go

Year-round, but the wet season—November through March—is when this paddle becomes something special.

Summer draws more boats, more paddlers, and warmer air, but it's also when Netarts is busiest and the bay can get choppy with boat traffic. Fall and winter strip all of that away. You'll paddle in rain, mist, and the flat gray light that makes the Oregon Coast what it is—and you'll have the bay almost entirely to yourself.

The best wet-season days are the pauses between storm systems: the morning after a front passes, when the rain has stopped but the sky is still heavy, the air is scrubbed clean, and the bay is glassy. These windows can last a few hours or a full day. Watch the forecast and be ready to go when the gap opens.

Weekdays are nearly empty November through February. Even weekends see minimal traffic. If you want a guided experience in wet season, Kayak Tillamook runs year-round tours on Netarts Bay including a winter apple cider tour—hot cider in a thermos at the midpoint.

Water temperature: Winter surface temps run 45–50°F. Cold enough that immersion is a safety concern. A drysuit is ideal; at minimum, wear a wetsuit and layers that insulate when wet. Rain gear alone is not sufficient.

Gear Up: What to Bring

On a rain-season paddle in a saltwater estuary, everything gets wet—your deck, your hands, your spray skirt, the air itself. The question isn't whether you'll deal with moisture; it's whether the things that need to stay dry actually do. That's the whole game in wet-weather paddling.

Every kayaker heading to Netarts Bay in wet season should pack:

• Glacier™ Clear Dry Bag: Your warm mid-layer, dry gloves, and wool hat live in here. On a wet-season paddle, the moment you stop generating heat—at the take-out, waiting for the shuttle, sitting in a parking lot—you cool down fast. Being able to see through the bag and grab the right layer without opening it in the rain is the difference between a quick change and a cold fumble.
• Explorer™ Dry Bag: Your car-change kit: dry base layer, socks, a towel. After two hours on the water in rain and salt spray, the drive back to Tillamook or your campsite at Cape Lookout is a lot better in dry clothes. The Explorer takes daily abuse from salt, sand, and rain without losing its seal.
• E-Merse™ Waterproof Cases: Rain, spray, and salt air kill phones fast on the Oregon Coast. The E-Merse keeps your phone touchscreen-accessible for photos—harbor seals on the sandbar, the light breaking through clouds onto Cape Lookout—without the anxiety of bare electronics in a wet cockpit.
• Dry Doc™ Passport & Card Holders: If you're road-tripping Highway 101, your license, cards, and cash ride in your pack or your PFD pocket all day. The Dry Doc keeps them sealed against salt spray and rain without adding bulk. Small enough to forget about until you need it—which is exactly how travel documents should work.

Beyond Seattle Sports gear: A PFD is required by Oregon law. Dress for immersion, not for air temp—a drysuit or wetsuit is smart insurance even on a sheltered bay. Bring a spray skirt, neoprene gloves, a wool or fleece hat, and a whistle. A thermos of hot coffee or soup is a genuine morale boost when the rain picks up. If you're paddling after 3 PM in winter, carry a headlamp—daylight fades fast on the Oregon Coast.

Know Before You Go

• Permits: Oregon Waterway Access Permit required for paddlecraft 10 feet or longer ($17/year, available from ODFW). No launch permit needed at Netarts Bay Boat Launch.
• Fees: Free parking at the Netarts Bay Boat Launch. Cape Lookout State Park nearby charges a day-use fee ($5).
• Facilities: Restrooms at the Netarts Bay Boat Launch (seasonal) and at Happy Camp. Cape Lookout State Park has full facilities including camping (tent sites, yurts, cabins).
• Cell service: Generally reliable in the Netarts area. Spotty near Cape Lookout and the south end of the bay.
• Nearest town: Netarts village (at the launch) has minimal services. Tillamook is 10 minutes east for groceries, gas, and gear. Oceanside is 5 minutes north.
• Guided tours: Kayak Tillamook operates year-round guided tours on Netarts Bay, including the winter apple cider tour (November–May). Recommended for first-time visitors or anyone unfamiliar with tidal paddling.
• Hazards: Strong outgoing tidal current near the bay mouth—do not paddle near the entrance. Coastal wind can build quickly, especially from the northwest. Cold water immersion risk in winter. Respect the Shellfish Preserve and protected sand dollar beds—look but don't touch. Weather changes rapidly; watch for incoming fronts.

The Bottom Line

Netarts Bay in the rain doesn't look like anyone's screensaver. It looks like the Oregon Coast actually looks—gray sky, wet everything, harbor seals watching you from a sandbar while the tide pushes you through water so clean you can see the eelgrass bending in the current below your hull.

That's the version most people drive past on Highway 101 with the wipers going. But if you pull over, seal your layers in the right bags, time the tide, and put your boat in the water on a Tuesday in November, you'll understand why some of us think the wet season is the real season on this coast.

We build gear for days like this. You bring the rain jacket.