Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's have a look at what we've got for Point Arena. It's a reef break, fairly exposed to the swell, and the optimum direction is from the north-west.

The water temperature here is sitting at a very unusual 52°, which is 7° colder than what we'd normally expect for this time of year. That's a big anomaly, so you'll definitely be needing a thick wetsuit. But let's be honest, the surf picture for the next week is pretty grim. We've got a long stretch from Thursday, September 3rd all the way through the following Wednesday, September 9th with nothing worth paddling out for. The waves are either too small, the wind is messy, or the forecasts are just marginal at best. You'll be looking at a lot of cross-shore breezes and a moderate combined swell energy, but nothing that’s going to get the heart pumping. On Thursday morning the 3rd the swell is 6ft from the WNW (551), but it's described as marginal, and the wind is a light cross-shore from the SE. It just doesn't come together.

Thursday the 10th shows a bit of a pulse of long-period groundswell from the SW (17 seconds), but with a height of only 3ft, it’s going to be weak and inconsistent, especially with the cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is moderate (606), but the quality isn't there. That trend continues into the 11th and 12th.

Now, the real standout, and honestly the only one that gets me talking, is happening way out on the 18th of September. Friday the 18th, we’ve got the afternoon session shaping up. The swell is from the SW with a very long period of 19 seconds, and the wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions". The wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm. That is a huge positive. The combined swell energy is strong at 1164, but the swell height is only 3ft. That very long period swell from the SW at a point break like Point Arena should produce some beautifully shaped, clean lines, but the sets will be infrequent. It’s a long way off, so don't book the time off just yet, but it's the only thing on the horizon that looks promising.

Before that, the 15th of September morning also looks clean with glassy conditions and a 3ft NW swell, but it's not a standout. The 14th afternoon has a clean 4ft NW swell, which is better again (435), but the real magic is that very end of the forecast.

So to sum it up: The first week and a half is a write-off for any decent waves at Point Arena. Hold out for that glassy, very long period groundswell on the afternoon of the 18th of September. That’s your best bet, but it’s a promise from far away.

Rusty.

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