Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking for Point Arena over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, I gotta be straight with you: the first week or so is a real struggle. The water is a bit colder than normal at 56°, so that’s a bit of a shock to the system right off the bat, but that’s the least of our worries.

From Monday the 24th right through to the end of August and into the start of September, this is a flat spell with a capital F. The waves that do show up are small—mostly around 2ft to 3ft with some short-period windswell from the SW—and the quality just isn’t there. The wind is a constant cross or cross-off from the NW, but it’s 12 to 18 mph, so it’s not doing us any favors. The combined swell energy is mostly in the low hundreds (324, 370, 319) which tells you it’s just weak, unorganized energy. There’s about ten days here where you’re better off doing something else. The swell tries to bump up a little around the 27th with a short-period NW pulse hitting 5ft to 6ft, but a 6-second period is just a bumpy, lumpy mess. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, let’s talk about the one true highlight in this whole outlook. Mark your calendars for Thursday afternoon, September 3rd. This is the real deal. We’re looking at a solid 11ft NW groundswell hitting the reef. The period is a strong 9 seconds, and the combined energy skyrockets to 1722—that’s serious power. The catch? That size is expert territory. If you’re not dialed in and comfortable on a big, heavy reef, this is not your session. The wind is a moderate cross-shore from the NW at 12 mph, so it won’t be glassy, but it’ll keep things from closing out completely. This is the standout, no question, but it’s only for the crew who live for that kind of juice.

After that, the swell hangs in there but backs off a bit into the second week. Saturday afternoon, September 5th, looks interesting. The swell drops to a manageable 7ft from the NW, period still at 9 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 833. The real kicker here is the wind: glassy. Almost no wind from the WSW at 3 mph. That means clean, smooth conditions. It’s still a big wave for the average punter, but for a strong intermediate, that could be a fun, less intimidating window than the 11ft day.

The following Monday and Tuesday (September 8th and 9th) see the swell picking back up to 8ft to 10ft with combined energy over 1500, but the wind is up again, and it’s mostly a cross-off or cross. There’s plenty of power there, but the quality is a question mark.

So to wrap it up: Forget the first ten days. The standout is Thursday, Sep 3rd for the big wave crew. If you want something a little less terrifying, Sep 5th afternoon offers clean, glassy conditions on a still-chunky swell.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty.

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