Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Point Arena, 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: 6–7ft, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 6-7ft and mostly poor - fair with 24mph out of the N.
Mon, May 11: 6–7ft, 11s period, rated Poor - Fair. Slim pickings today — 6-7ft and poor - fair with 15mph N winds.
Tue, May 12: 5–6ft, 11s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 5-6ft on WNW swell at 11s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 12mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Wed, May 13: 5–6ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 5-6ft waves on W swell at 11s with light winds out of the ESE. The W wind kicks in by afternoon — 8mph and fair by then.
Thu, May 14: 5–6ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 5-6ft waves on W swell at 11s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 9mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
Point Arena is one of the premier waves in Northern California — a ledgy slab reef producing both lefts and rights, with the left considered one of the best waves in NorCal. The wave works from chest-high to 20-foot-plus faces, breaking over a sharp rock shelf with a rusty ship boiler to avoid at low tide. A fiercely localized spot with a dedicated crew who protect their wave, this is a serious, heavy break that demands expert-level ability and local respect.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Point Arena is 5-7ft with a 11.05s swell period. Wind is N at 24mph 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 Point Arena is 5-7ft, produced by a 3.8ft W primary swell at 11s, a 1.1ft SW secondary swell at 16s, a 0.9ft SSW tertiary swell at 19s, a 4.3ft 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 Point Arena is Thursday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 6ft waves, a 10.95s swell period, and conditions rated Very Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Point Arena 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 Point Arena. 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.
Point Arena is a reef with a reef bottom, suited to expert surfers. Point Arena is one of the premier waves in Northern California — a ledgy slab reef producing both lefts and rights, with the left considered one of the best waves in NorCal. The wave works from chest-high to 20-foot-plus faces, breaking over a sharp rock shelf with a rusty ship boiler to avoid at low tide. A fiercely localized spot with a dedicated crew who protect their wave, this is a serious, heavy break that demands expert-level ability and local respect.
The prime season at Point Arena is winter, 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 Point Arena include sharp reef, shallow rock shelf, submerged ship wreck, sharks, localism, cold water, strong currents, heavy surf. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Point Arena 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.
