Northern California
Best window·Sunday 8AM–11AM·3ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Ten Mile 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: 2–2ft, 6s period, rated Poor - Fair. Slim pickings today — 2ft and poor - fair with barely a breath of wind.
Thu, Jun 25: 2–3ft, 7s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on NW swell at 7s with light winds out of the NW. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Fri, Jun 26: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on WNW swell at 5s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 8mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to poor.
Sat, Jun 27: 3–4ft, 15s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on WNW swell at 8s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to poor.
Sun, Jun 28: 3–4ft, 10s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and glassy conditions. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 9mph and poor by then.
Ten Mile Beach stretches for miles along the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg, offering consistent beach break peaks across a vast, empty sandy shoreline. The open W and NW swell exposure means waves are powerful and plentiful, but the remote setting, cold water, and lack of safety infrastructure require intermediate-level competence. One of the longest continuous surf beaches in NorCal.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Ten Mile Beach is 2ft with a 6.15s swell period. Wind is WNW at 4mph 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 Ten Mile Beach is 2ft, produced by a 3ft WNW primary swell at 6s, a 1ft SW secondary swell at 14s, a 0.8ft SW tertiary swell at 18s. 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 Ten Mile Beach is Sunday from 8 AM to 11 AM with 3ft waves, a 8.95s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Ten Mile 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 Ten Mile 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.
Ten Mile Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Ten Mile Beach stretches for miles along the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg, offering consistent beach break peaks across a vast, empty sandy shoreline. The open W and NW swell exposure means waves are powerful and plentiful, but the remote setting, cold water, and lack of safety infrastructure require intermediate-level competence. One of the longest continuous surf beaches in NorCal.
The prime season at Ten Mile 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 Ten Mile Beach include cold water, sharks, strong currents, isolation, rip currents. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Ten Mile 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.
