Point Arena Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.92° N 123.73° W

Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 31 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Point Arena sea temperature is
11.2° C
3.0° 

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 1 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, NW swell with 2,926 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 8PM (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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 8s period. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) 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 0.6m 14s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sat 1st Aug)11ft (3.5m) 8s
Best Surf 8PM (Sat 1st Aug)11ft (3.5m) 8s
Most Powerful 8PM (Sun 2nd Aug)13ft (4.0m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way up at Point Arena.

Right off the bat, the first couple of days are a write-off for surfing. Saturday the 1st has a solid 7ft to 10ft NW groundswell but it’s shredded by a nasty NNW cross-off breeze howling at 16 to 22 mph. The wave energy is high (447 to 1097), but the conditions are so poor you wouldn’t even paddle out – it’s more of a kiter’s day if anything. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird.

Now, Sunday the 2nd is where it gets interesting. That morning, the NW swell is pumping at 12ft with a 9-second period – that’s a lot of juice (1850 energy). The wind is cross-off from the NNW at 19 mph again, but the swell is just too big for this reef setup. It’s expert-only territory, and honestly, even for the experienced crew, it’s pushing the limits. The afternoon is the same story, with even more energy (2423). This isn’t a beginner’s session.

Monday the 3rd through to Friday the 7th are pretty average. The swell hangs around the 7ft to 10ft mark, but the wind is constantly cross or cross-on, creating bumpy, choppy conditions. The energy stays moderate (807 to 1913), but nothing is coming together clean. The best of a mediocre bunch might be Monday morning (10ft, NW, 10-second period) with a gentle cross-shore breeze – still a bit lumpy but you could get a few if you’re desperate. The water temp is still just normal for the season.

Then we hit Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th, and the swell goes absolutely nuts – 13ft NW, with a 10-second period, and energy readings hitting 2976 to 3446. That’s a massive amount of power. The wind is light or cross-off early on the 8th, but again, this is way too big for Point Arena. It’s only for the most hardcore big-wave crew, and even then, it’s a serious call. This keeps up through Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th (swell still 10ft to 13ft), but the wind stays messy.

From Wednesday the 12th onward, the swell drops fast. You’ve got 7ft on Wednesday, then 6ft to 6ft through to the 14th, and by the 15th and 16th it’s barely 5ft to 5ft, with poor conditions and fresh breezes. Not worth your time.

So what’s the standout? If you’re an expert, Sunday the 2nd morning is your window – that 12ft NW groundswell with cross-off wind is as good as it gets, but you’ve gotta be comfortable with serious size. For everyone else, there’s not a single clean, manageable day in the whole 16-day run unless you’re happy scratching around in marginal chop. The surf just isn’t playing ball.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the NNW by Mon morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
!
!
!
!
3
2
4
1
2
2
1
2
3
2
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.2
NW
7
2.1
NW
7
3
NW
8
3.5
NW
8
3.5
NW
9
3.5
NW
9
3.5
NW
10
3
NW
10
3
NW
10
3
NW
10
2.5
NW
9
2.3
NW
9
2.2
NW
9
2.1
NW
9
2.1
NW
9
2.3
NW
9
2.4
NW
9
2.5
NW
9
3
NW
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
449
432
1082
1498
1747
2374
2388
1676
1491
1983
1069
853
788
734
750
872
973
1208
1733
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
25
NNW
35
NNW
35
NNW
30
NNW
35
NNW
20
NNW
15
NW
20
NW
15
NNW
15
SSW
5
WNW
10
SSE
15
SSW
10
NW
5
N
5
WSW
25
NW
20
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
00:42AM1.75m
2:10PM1.55m
1:25AM1.62m
2:39PM1.62m
2:15AM1.47m
3:10PM1.68m
3:16AM1.30m
3:46PM1.75m
4:35AM1.16m
4:29PM1.81m
6:14AM1.08m
5:20PM1.87m
Low Tide
7:33AM-0.00m
7:41PM0.69m
8:03AM0.12m
8:34PM0.62m
8:33AM0.28m
9:33PM0.52m
9:06AM0.46m
10:40PM0.40m
9:44AM0.64m
11:54PM0.26m
10:32AM0.80m
1:07AM0.10m
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clear
clear
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:16
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:27
8:25
8:24
8:23
8:22
8:22
8:21
 mm
Temp °C
14
15
16
14
14
15
14
16
15
15
16
16
13
14
15
13
15
15
14
Feels °C
10
10
10
9
8
9
9
14
12
13
14
15
11
12
14
11
14
14
12
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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