Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Black Point Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Sun, May 10: 5–6ft, 7s period, rated Poor. Slim pickings today — 5-6ft and poor with 15mph NW winds.
Mon, May 11: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Consistent 4-5ft surf through the day on WNW swell at 9s with gentle NNW breeze. Afternoon breeze fills in to 9mph.
Tue, May 12: 3–4ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Expect 4-5ft all day on WNW swell at 11s with barely a breath of wind — nothing amazing but surfable. Expect the wind to bump up to around 7mph by PM.
Wed, May 13: 4–5ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 11s with gentle E breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 7mph from the WSW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Thu, May 14: 4–5ft, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 4-5ft on W swell at 11s with gentle NE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the W and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
Black Point Beach is a sandy beach break on the rugged Sonoma Coast, offering W swell exposure and uncrowded peaks in a scenic setting. The forgiving sand bottom and mellow wave character are appealing, but the Sonoma Coast is known for dangerous conditions — cold water, powerful currents, and shark activity make this intermediate territory. Morning glass sessions with offshore E winds produce the cleanest conditions.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Black Point Beach is 5-6ft with a 7.1s swell period. Wind is NW at 15mph and conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Black Point Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 1.1ft SW primary swell at 16s, a 1ft SSW secondary swell at 19s, a 0.5ft SW tertiary swell at 12s, a 6.2ft WNW wind swell swell at 7s. 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.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Black Point Beach is Thursday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 4ft waves, a 10.95s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Black Point Beach works best with a W swell and E winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Black Point Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Black Point Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Black Point Beach is a sandy beach break on the rugged Sonoma Coast, offering W swell exposure and uncrowded peaks in a scenic setting. The forgiving sand bottom and mellow wave character are appealing, but the Sonoma Coast is known for dangerous conditions — cold water, powerful currents, and shark activity make this intermediate territory. Morning glass sessions with offshore E winds produce the cleanest conditions.
The prime season at Black Point Beach is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Black Point Beach include cold water, sharks, rip currents, strong currents, rocks. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Black Point 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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
