Northern California
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.
Sun, May 10: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Expect 4-5ft all day on W swell at 10s with 7mph from the WNW — nothing amazing but surfable.
Mon, May 11: 3–4ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Consistent 3-4ft surf through the day on W swell at 11s with barely a breath of wind.
Tue, May 12: 3–4ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on W swell at 11s and calm winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 5mph from the SW and dropping conditions to fair.
Wed, May 13: 3–4ft, 13s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on W swell at 11s with light SE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Thu, May 14: 3–4ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 3-4ft waves on W swell at 10s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 7mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
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 4-5ft with a 10.5s swell period. Wind is W at 6mph and conditions are rated 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 4-5ft, produced by a 3.6ft W primary swell at 10s, a 1.7ft WNW secondary swell at 12s, a 0.9ft SW tertiary swell at 15s, a 3.7ft 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 Pelican State Beach is Thursday from 8 AM to 11 AM with 4ft waves, a 10.25s 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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
