Northern California
Best window·Sunday 6AM–9AM·4ft·Fair - Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Pelican State Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Wed, Jun 24: 3–4ft, 19s period, rated Poor - Fair. Not the most exciting day — 2ft and poor - fair conditions with glassy conditions.
Thu, Jun 25: 2–2ft, 17s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2ft waves on NW swell at 6s with light WSW winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Fri, Jun 26: 2–2ft, 16s period, rated Poor - Fair. Slim pickings today — 2ft and poor - fair with light SW winds.
Sat, Jun 27: 3–4ft, 15s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on WNW swell at 9s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Sun, Jun 28: 4–5ft, 10s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on WNW swell at 9s with gentle NNE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 8mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Pelican State Beach sits just south of the Oregon border, one of the loneliest beaches in California with no facilities whatsoever. The west-facing sandy beach picks up W and NW Pacific swells, producing beach break peaks in a strikingly remote setting. While the waves themselves can be mellow, the extreme isolation, cold water, and lack of any help nearby make this unsuitable for inexperienced surfers.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Pelican State Beach is 3-4ft with a 6.75s swell period. Wind is WSW at 5mph 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 Pelican State Beach is 3-4ft, produced by a 1.2ft SW primary swell at 14s, a 1ft SW secondary swell at 18s, a 0.7ft WNW tertiary swell at 12s, a 6.2ft NW 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 Pelican State Beach is Sunday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 4ft waves, a 9.45s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Pelican State 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 Pelican State 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.
Pelican State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Pelican State Beach sits just south of the Oregon border, one of the loneliest beaches in California with no facilities whatsoever. The west-facing sandy beach picks up W and NW Pacific swells, producing beach break peaks in a strikingly remote setting. While the waves themselves can be mellow, the extreme isolation, cold water, and lack of any help nearby make this unsuitable for inexperienced surfers.
The prime season at Pelican State 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 Pelican State Beach include extreme isolation, cold water, sharks, no facilities, strong currents. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Pelican State 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. Visit /public/accuracy for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
