Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s see what we’ve got for Point Arena for the next couple weeks.

The first real window for a session doesn't open until Thursday the 10th, and it's a bit of a tease. Thursday afternoon sees some fun 3ft southwest groundswell coming in with a 17-second period, but that water temp is about 57°, which is par for the course this time of year. The sting in the tail is that 25 km/h NNW cross-offshore wind – keeps the surface glassy, sure, but the overall vibe is low score material. The combined energy (804) is moderate.

Friday the 11th is a washout in the morning. It jumps to 7ft from the north-west with a short, snappy 8-second period and messy cross-shore winds – that’s chop city. Friday afternoon drops to 3ft of southwest groundswell (15 seconds) but the wind cranks to 30 km/h from the NNW. Clean surface, but that’s a ton of wind for small waves.

Saturday and Sunday the 12th and 13th are a similar story: 2ft to 3ft under stiff NNW winds. The energy crashes on Sunday morning (93 is weak). That afternoon jumps to 7ft from the NW but with a tiny 7-second period – that’s just a bumpy mess.

Now, for the big wave crew – Monday the 14th gets serious. Swell peaks at 8ft in the morning and hits 10ft Monday afternoon. The combined energy hits 1498 – that's strong. But with a short 8-second period and a 35 km/h cross-offshore wind, this is for experts only. The size rules out beginners. The short period will close out sections on a reef like this – it’ll be a proper slab for the brave. The wind stays clean, but it’s powerful.

Tuesday the 15th holds at 7ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, still NW and short-period. The wind backs off a touch Tuesday morning to a lighter cross-shore, making it a little more manageable. The afternoon wind jumps back to 30 km/h, so the morning is the pick.

Wednesday the 16th drops to 6ft to 5ft with lighter winds, but the wind turns cross-onshore. The surface gets a slight wrinkle – not glassy, but 5ft with a 15 km/h cross-off on Wednesday afternoon is the cleanest session in a few days.

From Thursday the 17th through to Sunday the 20th, it fades to knee-high, long-period south-west groundswell (18-22 seconds). The energy sits around 400-662, which is moderate, but the size is tiny – 2ft to 3ft. Those are going to be wobbly and straight-breaking here. The wind is mostly light to moderate cross-off, so it’s clean, but small.

Around the 21st and 22nd we get a little NW energy rebuilding (3ft, 16-17 seconds), but the wind is light and variable, sometimes onshore. Small and clean enough for a beginner, but nothing to get excited about.

The big standout is Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th for the daring. That 10ft NW swell Monday afternoon is the biggest, cleanest energy in the whole run. The crowd factor at Point Arena is ‘often’ – expect a full lineup on a Monday, but the size will thin the herd. The swell direction (NW) matches the optimum for the spot, so it’s nailing the angle. Downside is the short 8-second period – it’s punchy and fast, not the slow groundswell you want for a long ride. Experts only.

The other highlight is Wednesday the 25th – a 2ft whisper of 22-second south-west groundswell in the morning. Not rideable. That afternoon sees 3ft from the NW with a 9-second period and moderate cross-off wind. A small, clean longboard day, but that’s about it.

For the average surfer looking for a solid, clean 5ft to 6ft day with light wind, it’s a lean run. My best bet for a powerful wave that still has some order is Tuesday the 15th morning – 7ft, lighter cross-shore, less chaos than Monday.

Take care of yourselves out there. Rusty.

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