Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Wages Creek 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: 5–6ft, 11s period, rated Poor. Slim pickings today — 5-6ft and poor with 15mph NNW winds.
Mon, May 11: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Expect 4-5ft all day on WNW swell at 11s with calm winds — nothing amazing but surfable. Afternoon breeze fills in to 8mph.
Tue, May 12: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Steady 4-5ft waves on offer on WNW swell at 11s — calm winds. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 5mph.
Wed, May 13: 4–5ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on W swell at 11s and light winds out of the SE. 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 11s with calm winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
Wages Creek Beach is a remote sandy beach break on the Mendocino coast that picks up NW Pacific swells well. The uncrowded setting and sandy bottom make for fun peaks, but the cold water, isolation, and standard NorCal hazards require intermediate experience. A quiet gem for surfers exploring north of Fort Bragg.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Wages Creek Beach is 5-6ft with a 10.65s swell period. Wind is NNW at 15mph and conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Wages Creek Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 3.4ft W primary swell at 11s, a 0.8ft SW secondary swell at 16s, a 0.7ft SW tertiary swell at 18s, a 4.1ft WNW 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 Wages Creek Beach is Tuesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.9s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Wages Creek Beach works best with a NW swell and SE 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 Wages Creek 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.
Wages Creek Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Wages Creek Beach is a remote sandy beach break on the Mendocino coast that picks up NW Pacific swells well. The uncrowded setting and sandy bottom make for fun peaks, but the cold water, isolation, and standard NorCal hazards require intermediate experience. A quiet gem for surfers exploring north of Fort Bragg.
The prime season at Wages Creek 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 Wages Creek Beach include cold water, sharks, rip currents, isolation, rocks at beach ends. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Wages Creek 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.
