Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaking for Point Arena over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, the water is sitting at 58°F, which is right about what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just your standard cool North Coast summer.

The outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, and I’ll be straight with you: there’s a long stretch of pretty average conditions coming up. We’ve got a gap from Thursday, 20 August right through to the end of the month, with mostly poor surf and very few windows that are worth paddling out for. The energy is weak for most of that period, with combined swell energy barely cracking 285 on Thursday afternoon, and mostly sitting in the low to mid-100s on the weekend. The swell is small, around 2 ft to 3 ft, coming from the WNW with a short period mostly around 10-11 seconds. The wind is a constant cross-off or cross, which keeps the surface clean, but there’s just not enough push in the water to make it fun.

Then Sunday, 23 August, the swell bumps up a little to 6 ft-7 ft from the NW, but the period drops to a choppy 7-8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 544-548, which is moderate, but that short period makes for a bumpy, jumbled wave. It’s still poor for the most part.

The real kicker comes on Monday, 24 August, through to Wednesday, 26 August. The swell direction swings to the SW, and the period gets long – 16 to 18 seconds – but the height is tiny, only 2 ft to 3 ft. The combined energy stays moderate (369-518), but with that long-period groundswell on a small height, it’s mostly just a rolling lump. The wind is light cross-on or cross, so it’s not messy, but you’re honestly looking at marginal surf. This long-period SW groundswell can be a bit tricky at a beach break setup like Point Arena, as it tends to break straight and won’t offer much shape.

Now, let’s talk about the only time you’ll want to get wet. The standout is shaping up for Thursday, 3 September morning, and then Friday, 4 September. On Thursday morning, the swell is still weak (2 ft from SW, 15 seconds, energy 202), but by Thursday afternoon, things start to improve. Thursday afternoon sees a 4 ft NW swell at 8 seconds with clean cross-off wind and a gentle breeze – combined energy 319. It’s decent, but the real highlight is Friday, 4 September. Friday morning delivers a 7 ft WNW swell with an 11-second period, light cross-on wind, and a massive combined energy of 1134. That’s strong, punchy energy. Friday afternoon is even better: 7 ft WNW swell, 11-second period, light offshore wind (NNW, 6 mph), and a combined energy of 943. The wind is light and cross-off, so the surface will be clean. This is the best bet of the whole outlook. The NW swell direction is a good match for Point Arena’s optimum exposure, and the size is solid for intermediate surfers. Beginners might find 7 ft a bit much, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is the session to aim for.

Keep in mind, this is a long-range forecast, so the Friday 4 September call is promising but not locked in yet. The earlier days are more reliable.

So, to wrap it up: the next week and a half is mostly a write-off, with small, weak, or short-period swell. The only real window that’s worth your time is Friday, 4 September, with a solid 7 ft-7 ft WNW groundswell, clean conditions, and strong energy. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

Read more