Swell Intel

Glass Beach Surf Forecast, Northern California

Northern California

Pudding Creek Beach3-4ftVirgin Creek2-3ftMacKerricher Laguna Point2-3ft
Glass Beach surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
5-6ft
head high
Swell Period
12.05s
Wind
14mph
N / Gusts 6mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
9.4ft @ 12sWNW
Secondary
0.7ft @ 13sSW

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Sun, Mar 292-3ft
Fair

Expect 2-3ft all day on NW swell at 8s with calm winds — nothing amazing but surfable.

6am9am12pm3pm
10s NW|2-4mph NE
Mon, Mar 303-4ft
Fair - Good

Midday is the call — 3-4ft waves with calm winds and fair - good conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.

6am9am12pm3pm
7s NW|2-4mph SW
Tue, Mar 312-3ft
Fair

Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on NW swell at 8s with 8mph N winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.

6am9am12pm3pm
8s NW|5-8mph NNW
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Thu

Forecast Charts

Glass Beach Surf Spot Guide

Break
Reef
Bottom
Rock
Level
Advanced
Crowd
Light
Best Swell
NW
Best Wind
E
Season
Fall

Glass Beach is primarily a tourist attraction in Fort Bragg famous for its colorful sea glass, not a conventional surf spot. The rocky coastline and rough terrain make water entry and exit dangerous, with waves breaking over rock and debris from the former dump site. While theoretically surfable on bigger NW swells, this is not a recognized or regularly-surfed break and should only be considered by experienced surfers familiar with rocky NorCal conditions.

RocksCobblestone bottomCold waterStrong currentsDangerous entry/exitNot a real surf break

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Glass Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Glass Beach?
The current wave height at Glass Beach is 5-6ft with a 12.05s swell period. Wind is N at 14mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Glass Beach surf forecast?
Our Glass Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends.
What is the breaking wave height at Glass Beach?
The current breaking wave height at Glass Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 9.4ft WNW primary swell at 12s, a 0.7ft SW secondary swell at 13s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
When is the best time to surf Glass Beach?
Check the Glass Beach hourly surf forecast for the best windows this week.