Surf Forecasts:
Point Arena surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, NW swell with 3,294 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 3.5m and 10s. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 16s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Point Arena over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Point Arena. This is a reef set-up that takes a NW swell, and it’s very consistent. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.
The first few days are a bit of a write-off with that strong NW wind and a messy, cross-shore chop. Tuesday afternoon, the 4th of August, we get a bit of a tease with a glassy 6 ft swell from the NW, but the energy is on the low side. Wednesday the 5th offers another glassy window in the afternoon with 5 ft waves, but again, it’s not really firing.
The real standout action kicks off on Sunday the 9th of August. The swell jumps up to 12 ft from the NW with a solid 10-second period, and the combined energy is massive. The wind is howling cross-shore though, so it’s going to be a wild, bumpy beast. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Monday the 10th is just as big and messy.
The best of the whole run lands on Tuesday the 11th of August. The afternoon session is the golden ticket. The swell drops to a manageable 7 ft from the NW, the period is a punchy 9 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. The energy is still solid, and the conditions will be clean. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. After that, the swell sticks around in the 6-7 ft range for a few days, but the wind is never quite as perfect again.
The last few days into the second week, from the 16th onwards, the swell drops off hard. By the 17th and 18th, we’re looking at tiny, weak 2 ft groundswell with a very long 15-16 second period, and the wind is onshore. Not much to get excited about there.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the NNW by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2238 | 1591 | 1210 | 1015 | 675 | 516 | 375 | 379 | 320 | 196 | 95 | 101 | 217 | 311 | 429 | 804 | 964 | 1531 | 1858 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:15AM1.47m | 3:10PM1.68m | 3:16AM1.30m | 3:46PM1.75m | 4:35AM1.16m | 4:29PM1.81m | 6:14AM1.08m | 5:20PM1.87m | 7:58AM1.10m | 6:21PM1.94m | 9:16AM1.18m | 7:26PM2.02m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:34PM0.62m | 8:33AM0.28m | 9:33PM0.52m | 9:06AM0.46m | 10:40PM0.40m | 9:44AM0.64m | 11:54PM0.26m | 10:32AM0.80m | 1:07AM0.10m | 11:37AM0.92m | 2:14AM-0.07m | 12:56PM0.98m | 3:13AM-0.22m | ||||||
 |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 8:24 | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 44 | 1591 | 1210 | 1015 | 675 | 516 | 375 | 379 | 320 | 196 | 95 | 101 | 217 | 127 | 205 | 83 | 240 | 240 | 201 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 29 | 44 | 42 | 40 | 85 | 78 | 56 | 73 | 99 | 127 | 64 | 84 | 83 | 56 | 79 | 93 | 37 | 22 | 56 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 13 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 19 | S 13 | S 11 | SW 23 |
| kJ | 49 | 26 | 41 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 38 | 24 | 12 | 30 | 87 | 41 | 81 | 11 | 10 | 122 | 14 | 10 | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 |
| kJ | 2238 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 311 | 429 | 804 | 964 | 1531 | 1858 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 46 | 50 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 125 | 0 | 120 | 72 | 43 | 91 | 265 | 43 |
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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