Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at College Cove, 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, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 5-6ft and mostly poor - fair with moderate N wind around 12mph.
Mon, May 11: 5–6ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 5-6ft on W swell at 11s with glassy conditions. Onshore flow builds through the day to 11mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Tue, May 12: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 5-6ft waves on W swell at 11s and barely a breath of wind. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to fair.
Wed, May 13: 5–6ft, 13s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 5-6ft on W swell at 11s with light SSE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Thu, May 14: 4–5ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on W swell at 10s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 5mph from the NW and dropping conditions to fair.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
College Cove is a sheltered sandy cove near Trinidad in Humboldt County, offering some of the more forgiving conditions in the area thanks to its protected geometry. NW swells wrap into the cove and produce mellow, workable peaks over a sandy bottom. While gentler than the exposed coast, the standard NorCal cold water and remote environment require intermediate experience.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at College Cove is 5-6+ft with a 11.6s swell period. Wind is N at 12mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at College Cove is 5-6+ft, produced by a 3.1ft W primary swell at 10s, a 1.9ft WNW secondary swell at 12s, a 0.7ft WSW tertiary swell at 15s, a 2.7ft NW wind swell swell at 5s. 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 College Cove is Tuesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.9s swell period, and conditions rated Very Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
College Cove works best with a NW 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 College Cove. 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.
College Cove is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. College Cove is a sheltered sandy cove near Trinidad in Humboldt County, offering some of the more forgiving conditions in the area thanks to its protected geometry. NW swells wrap into the cove and produce mellow, workable peaks over a sandy bottom. While gentler than the exposed coast, the standard NorCal cold water and remote environment require intermediate experience.
The prime season at College Cove 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 College Cove include cold water, sharks, rip currents, rocks near cove edges. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our College Cove 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.
