Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu for Point Arena.

We're looking at a pretty long stretch here, and to be honest, it's a tough one. The good news is there's swell on the cards, but the wind is a real battle for most of the run. The water is sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than we usually get this time of year, so a thicker wetsuit is definitely the call.

The first real action we see kicks off on Friday, the 28th of August. We've got a solid 6 ft of swell from the NW, but the period is a short, weak 7 seconds. The wind is a messy cross-shore, creating a bit of a chop. The combined energy is moderate at 325. It's not a great look for a clean paddle.

Saturday the 29th is more of the same, with the swell building to 8 ft by the afternoon from the NW, but it's still that short-period, wind-affected stuff. The wind is a cross-offshore, so the surf will be clean, but the energy is all over the place.

Sunday the 30th shows a bit of promise. The morning has 7 ft of NW swell, still with a short 8-second period, and the wind is a cross-shore, so it's not great. But the afternoon sees the swell push to 8 ft, and the wind goes cross-offshore, cleaning it up. The combined energy hits 774, which is into the strong range. It's still a shallow, powerful beach-break type wave that will be a handful for anyone but experts.

The real interesting window is later on. Looking at Friday the 4th of September, we see a 7 ft swell from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is a light cross-shore from the WNW at only 6 mph, which is about as good as it gets for this spot. The combined energy is a strong 943. This is the standout. The swell is solid, the period is decent, and the light wind should give us a chance at some real quality. It's a good size for intermediate surfers, but be aware, the NW direction is cross-shore, so it might be a bit chunky.

The rest of the run into the second week is a frustrating mix of solid swell and fresh to strong cross-offshore winds. The 10th of September morning has a big 6 ft NW swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 870, but that NNW wind at 19 mph will be a battle. It's a kite-surfing dream but a paddler's nightmare.

Overall, if you're an expert, you can find a wave any day, but for the rest of us, focus on the 30th of August afternoon for a bigger, clean, but challenging session, and keep an eye on the morning of Friday the 4th of September for the best combination of size, wind, and energy. It's a long wait, but that one looks promising.

Stay frothy.
Rusty.

Read more