Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's shaping up for Point Arena over the next few weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, so let's get into it.

The pattern starts off pretty grim, with a long stretch of poor conditions. Honestly, for the first week and a half, it's not looking great for a proper session. From Friday the 10th right through to Tuesday the 22nd of July, the surf is either junk or just marginal. We're seeing moderate to fresh NNW winds, mostly cross-off, which keeps the surface clean, but the swell energy is weak to moderate (713 down to 289) and pretty short period, meaning the waves are gonna be weak and sectiony. You'll mostly find 6ft to 8ft of messy NW swell. It's not worth getting too excited about for paddle surfing, the setup here is a reef, and with that wind and short-period swell, it’s not offering much.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. The standout window, and I mean the real deal, is Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th of July. On Wednesday afternoon, the swell picks up to 10ft from the NW with an 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 1433. The wind stays fresh from the NNW, so it’s cross-off and clean. That’s a good, punchy wave for the experienced crew. But Thursday the 16th is the absolute pick of the bunch. The afternoon session brings a solid 10ft of NW swell, a slightly longer 9-second period, and the energy is pumping at 1998. The wind is still fresh cross-off from the NNW, keeping it clean. This is about as good as it gets for the forecast. The swell size is over 8ft, so it’s strictly for the experts. The crowds here are *often*, so expect some company in the lineup for these two days.

For the second week, things drop off again, but with a twist. Around Friday the 18th and into the weekend, the swell drops to 3ft to 3ft, but the period stretches way out to 16 seconds from the WNW, even hitting 17 seconds from the SW by Sunday afternoon. The energy is still moderate (1188 down to 919). This is proper groundswell, which can be super clean and make paddling out easier, but at a reef like Point Arena this long-period stuff might break a little too straight. The wind stays cross-off or cross, so conditions should be clean. These are promising, but with such small size, it's a fickle window. After that, it fades back into poor, choppy conditions with small, weak NW swell through the end of the month.

So, the one-two punch is Wednesday the 15th afternoon and especially Thursday the 16th afternoon at Point Arena. That's your best chance for a proper session. The long-period groundswell around July 18th and 19th is worth a look for clean but small waves if you're keen on a paddle.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change, but for now, those mid-July days are the ones to circle.

Rusty.

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