Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Point Arena. This is a reliable reef setup that’s very consistent with a northeasterly offshore direction, but it gets crowded often. The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 54°F, which is about 3°F cooler than usual.

Right now, we’re in a bit of a flat spell. There’s no real surf on offer to start. The first few days are a write-off with tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. Wednesday the 22nd has some 1ft to 2ft bump from the WNW and NNW, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, and the combined energy is weak (104). It’s just messy. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are cleaner with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is still only 3ft to 3ft from the NW, with moderate energy (141 to 160). The waves are small and lack power. Don’t get excited.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th see a little more size, around 4ft to 5ft from the NW, but the period drops to 6 to 9 seconds. That’s short-period, weak windswell, and the energy is still moderate (167 to 179). The wind is fresh and cross-off, so it’s clean, but the waves are just gutless. The standouts are not here yet.

The real deal starts to build from Monday the 27th onward. The swell picks up to 6ft from the NW, then jumps to 8ft on Tuesday the 28th, and hits 10ft by Tuesday afternoon. The energy gets strong (485 to 915). But here’s the rub: the period is still short, around 7 to 8 seconds, and the wind is fresh cross-off or cross. The waves are powerful but raw and lumpy. For a reef like Point Arena, this is edging into expert territory. It’s big, but it’s not clean, and the quality is marginal. This run continues through the end of July and into early August, with consistent 7ft to 10ft NW swell, but the wind stays strong and the conditions are iffy.

The best on offer is the Wednesday afternoon of August 5th. That’s the standout. The swell will be 12ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds (groundswell), and the combined energy is massive (1828). The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NW, which is perfect for a reef. The wave comment says it’s favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is only for advanced surfers. The setup will be powerful, hollow, and demanding. Crowds are likely, but the size will keep the lineup thinned out.

Unfortunately, right after that, Thursday the 6th of August has a drop-off. The swell is 8ft from the NW but the wind turns cross-on from the south, and the energy is still high (2046) but the quality tanks. Thursday afternoon sees a 6ft leftover from the NW with glassy conditions, but it’s a shadow of the day before.

So, the honest take: there’s a lot of wind and raw swell, but the quality is mostly poor. The one true standout is August 5th afternoon, but it’s a beast. For the rest of the window, you’re looking at messy, big, or weak. If you’re a beginner, stay away from anything over 5ft, and from July 27th onward, it’s mostly too big. Kite surfers will have a field day with the wind and swell combo, but for paddle surfing, hold out for that one Wednesday afternoon.

Rusty.

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