Point Arena Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.92° N 123.73° W

Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 12 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Point Arena sea temperature is
11.3° C
2.1° 

Point Arena surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Point Arena surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,824 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 19s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) 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 14s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5PM (Thu 16th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 8s
Best Surf 5PM (Thu 16th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 8s
Most Powerful 8PM (Thu 16th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Point Arena over the next 16 days.


Alright, this is a classic Northern California situation. Point Arena is a consistent reef set-up that can handle a lot of swell, but the timing has to be right. Looking at the next 16 days, we're staring down the barrel of a long, frustrating wait before things even start to look half decent. The first solid recommendation doesn't show up until Thursday the 16th, so that's a few days of nothing but rough, blown-out conditions to endure. The water right now is running at 52° and that's a whopping 4° colder than normal for July, so the wetsuit is going to be your best friend.

The swell kicks in proper around Thursday the 16th afternoon. We're looking at a solid 12 ft of NW swell, and even though the wind is a cross-offshore breeze, the wave energy is ramping up to a strong 1979. That's a lot of water moving. But here's the thing: at this size, 12 ft, Point Arena is only going to be for the experienced crew. This isn't the spot to be learning. The cross-off wind does help keep it cleaner, which is a bonus.

Then, we get a little reprieve on Friday the 17th. The swell drops back to 8 ft from the NW, but the period is a nice, long 9 seconds. That's proper groundswell energy, with a combined energy of 1481. The wind flips to a light WNW, so it's a bit cross-onshore, making for a slight chop, but nothing too messy. This is probably the most approachable day for the intermediate surfer who can handle a solid head-high+ wave at a reef.

After that, it's a real mixed bag. We bounce around with smaller swell and lumpy cross-shore winds for a few days, and nothing really locks in until the very end of the period. Now, look at the long range—Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of July are on the radar. The swell is back up to 12 ft again from the NW with cross-off winds and energy readings over 1800. The model is giving those days a high score, but we're over a week out, so take that with a grain of salt. If it holds, that's a powerful, clean lineup for the experts.

For the standout in this outlook, I'd have to tip my hat to the Friday the 17th. The swell is a manageable 8 ft from the NW with a long 9-second period. Combined with only a light wind, that offers the best mix of size and quality for the widest range of capable surfers. Just be aware, this point can get crowded when it's on, and that's "often" the case here, so you'll have some company.

-Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night).

Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
1
1
2
!
2
3
3
2
0
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.1
NW
7
2.1
NW
8
2.2
NW
8
1.9
NW
8
1.9
NW
8
2.1
NW
7
1.8
NW
7
1.9
NW
7
2.3
NW
7
2.2
NW
7
2.5
NW
8
3
NW
8
3
NW
8
3.5
NW
8
3
NW
8
2.5
NW
9
2.3
NW
9
1.9
NW
9
1.8
NW
9
1.7
NW
9
0.9
WNW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
452
523
559
424
403
452
334
351
585
516
842
957
979
1534
1136
952
846
542
552
492
359
Wind (km/h)
25
NNW
30
NNW
20
NNW
25
NW
30
NNW
20
NNW
25
NW
30
NNW
20
NNW
30
NNW
35
NNW
35
NNW
35
NNW
35
NNW
25
NNW
10
WNW
5
WNW
15
SSE
20
S
10
SW
10
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
11:12AM1.28m
9:33PM2.21m
11:59AM1.36m
10:27PM2.25m
12:42PM1.43m
11:20PM2.22m
1:24PM1.50m
00:13AM2.12m
2:06PM1.56m
1:06AM1.96m
2:47PM1.62m
2:00AM1.74m
3:28PM1.67m
2:59AM1.51m
Low Tide
3:17PM0.89m
5:08AM-0.52m
4:18PM0.86m
5:55AM-0.56m
5:16PM0.80m
6:40AM-0.52m
6:14PM0.74m
7:24AM-0.42m
7:13PM0.69m
8:06AM-0.26m
8:14PM0.64m
8:46AM-0.05m
9:20PM0.58m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:58
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:01
6:03
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:40
8:39
8:39
8:38
8:38
8:37
8:37
 mm
Temp °C
13
14
13
14
14
12
13
13
11
13
13
12
12
12
12
14
13
12
15
14
13
Feels °C
10
9
8
10
8
7
9
7
6
7
7
6
6
5
6
13
12
12
11
11
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Point Arena:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Point Arena surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest