Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First off, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is showing a whole lot of wind and messy conditions for the first week or so, with nothing really worth paddling out for. The energy is there, but it’s not lining up for us. We’re looking at almost a full week of onshore or cross-shore winds that are just going to chop things up. The water temp is pretty much where you’d expect it for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We’ve got a solid run of moderate swell energy coming through from the 13th to the 16th of July, but the wind is just wrong. It’s a cross or cross-off breeze from the NW and NNW, kicking up at 15 to 22 mph, which makes for bumpy, ugly waves. The swell is short period, around 8 seconds, so it’s weak and lacking any punch. Honestly, for a couple of days there, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Now, things start to get a little more interesting around the 17th and 18th of July. The winds ease up, but the swell drops right down to 3 ft. The good news is that we get a long-period groundswell from the WNW, with periods hitting 16 to 18 seconds. That’s proper energy, but it’s small. The combined energy is still high, but the size is lacking. The winds are a cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but you’ll be hunting for a wave. The best of this might be the Friday afternoon (17th) and Saturday afternoon (18th) when it’s clean and glassy-ish.

The period around the 20th and 21st of July sees the swell size bump back up to 7 ft to 8 ft, but the wind is a cross or cross-off again. The energy is moderate with a bit of a spike on the 20th afternoon. The wind is still moderate, so it’s not going to be perfect, but it’s a step up from the trash we had before. The swell is short period (8 seconds) though, so it’s not going to have that long, drawn-out face.

The real standout, and the one you want to circle on your calendar, is the 25th of July. Saturday morning and afternoon sees a solid 10 ft swell from the NW, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is massive, and the wind is a cross-off from the NW at 19 mph. That’s a big, powerful swell. This is for experienced surfers only – it’s going to be heavy. The wind is a cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but that’s a lot of water moving. The morning is a bit lumpy with a cross-chop, but the afternoon cleans right up. This is the best on offer, and it’s a good one, but it’s for the experts.

After that, the swell drops off quickly. The 26th and 27th of July see a return to messy, short-period windswell, and by the 28th it’s all gone. The 27th does have a tiny 3 ft, 18-second groundswell, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph, so it’s blown out.

So, the best bet is the 25th of July for the big stuff, but it’s expert-only. If you’re looking for a cleaner, smaller window, the 18th of July afternoon might be your best bet for a more manageable wave. It’s a waiting game, folks.

Rusty.

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