Surf Forecasts:
Point Arena surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, NW swell with 678 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Point Arena this week:
The surf forecast for Point Arena over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Point Arena in the next 16 days are 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Point Arena over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's coming up for Point Arena.
Let's be honest, the start of this stretch is a bit of a grind. The swell is there, but it's not clean. We've got a moderate cross-shore chop making things messy, and the quality is just poor. The wave energy is moderate at 595. The water is sitting at 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.
The first half of the week is a write-off. Wednesday the 19th through to Saturday the 22nd is all poor surf conditions with a messy cross-shore wind. The swell is small and weak, and the combined energy drops to as low as 99. It's a real struggle.
We start to see a glimmer of hope on Sunday the 23rd afternoon. The swell is still a bit lumpy, but it's getting there. The call is "marginal," but the wind is easing. Then Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are also just marginal, with a small cross-on breeze.
Now, the standout window arrives on Wednesday the 26th. The wind shifts to a clean cross-off from the NNW, and the swell bumps up to 8 ft from the NW. The wave energy is strong at 908. This is the best we're going to see for a while. It's still a bit on the bigger side, so more suited to the experienced crew, but the conditions will be clean. Thursday the 27th is also decent, with a 7 ft NW swell and a fresh cross-off breeze, but the energy is a bit lower.
The tail end of the run, from the 28th of August into the start of September, sees a repeating pattern of moderate to fresh cross-off winds with solid NW swell in the 7 ft to 8 ft range. The wave energy is strong, hitting 1277 on the 31st. The problem is, the wind is often too strong, creating lumpy conditions. The afternoon sessions on the 28th, 29th, and 30th will be clean, but the swell is big and the wind is fresh, so it's a serious session.
Finally, on Wednesday the 2nd of September, we get a real treat. The wind drops to a gentle breeze from the NNW, going cross-off, and the swell is a more manageable 5 ft. The conditions are clean, and the call is "good surf." This is the one to circle. It's a long way out, so keep a close eye on it, but it looks like the best chance for a proper, clean session.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SW 18 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | NW 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 311 | 279 | 193 | 173 | 167 | 128 | 115 | 80 | 77 | 262 | 412 | 383 | 435 | 481 | 367 | 291 | 232 | 219 | 214 | 202 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 4:32PM1.68m | 7:06AM1.10m | 5:26PM1.64m | 8:43AM1.14m | 6:28PM1.64m | 9:41AM1.20m | 7:30PM1.67m | 10:17AM1.25m | 8:24PM1.73m | 10:44AM1.30m | 9:11PM1.79m | 11:09AM1.36m | 9:53PM1.83m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:08AM0.31m | 10:46AM0.98m | 1:19AM0.26m | 12:02PM1.05m | 2:20AM0.19m | 1:22PM1.06m | 3:10AM0.12m | 2:24PM1.02m | 3:51AM0.06m | 3:13PM0.94m | 4:26AM0.01m | 3:55PM0.86m | 4:58AM-0.02m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | SW 16 | NW 7 |
| kJ | 339 | 193 | 193 | 173 | 167 | 128 | 115 | 80 | 77 | 67 | 79 | 383 | 435 | 481 | 367 | 291 | 183 | 119 | 214 | 155 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 15 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 169 | 314 | 220 | 226 | 236 | 154 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 49 | 29 | 181 | 116 | 121 | 255 | 153 | 232 | 219 | 126 | 161 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | W 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | WNW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | WNW 12 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 13 | W 15 | S 13 |
| kJ | 2 | 9 | 57 | 58 | 21 | 50 | 111 | 49 | 52 | 29 | 40 | 29 | 83 | 199 | 153 | 192 | 142 | 126 | 69 | 123 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 10 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | NW 6 |
| kJ | 311 | 279 | 132 | 85 | 75 | 73 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 262 | 412 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 99 | 202 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 102 | 43 | 91 | 43 | 43 | 265 | 267 | 43 | 165 | 267 | 0 | 73 | 62 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Mendocino County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Point Arena Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Point Arena provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Point Arena can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Point Arena surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Point Arena) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Point Arena may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Point Arena is 52 km (32 miles) from Ukiah. If you plan a vacation in Mendocino County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ukiah. Ukiah has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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