Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you from the jump – it's a tough stretch ahead if you're looking for a proper session at Point Arena. We've got a real mixed bag of cross-shores and onshores for most of the next two weeks, and it's going to feel a lot colder in the water than it should for this time of year, with the ocean temperature running about 55°, which is over four degrees cooler than normal. That's a notable chill.

Let's break down the first week. It's pretty grim sailing from Friday the 4th through to Tuesday the 10th. Thursday morning the 5th kicks off with a solid 7ft swell out of the NW at 11 seconds, but the cross-shore wind from the NW at 9 mph is just going to put a chop on it. The energy is moderate (913), but the quality is poor with marginal tide issues. That afternoon and the whole weekend are a write-off – we're looking at dropping swell, messy cross-shore winds, and a lot of "poor" comments. You'll see a spike of longer-period energy on Wednesday the 9th afternoon, with a 3ft SW swell at 19 seconds, and the winds turn clean with a NNW cross-off at 9 mph. The wave energy is building (423), but the swell height is just too small to get excited about. Thursday the 10th sees that long-period groundswell hang around (3ft, 17 seconds, moderate energy at 609) but then you've got strong cross-onshore winds out of the SSE at 16 mph ruining any chance of order. The whole first week is a dog, honestly.

Now, there is a little light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a long way off. The standout moment in this whole outlook falls on Wednesday the 16th of September. Morning is still messy, but check the afternoon: we get glassy conditions. The wind switches to a light WNW at 3 mph and goes glass. We've got a 4ft NW swell with a period of 12 seconds – that's a proper groundswell, with moderate energy (563). This long-period swell is going to wrap in nicely around the reef here, and with absolutely zero wind, it's going to be clean, lined-up, and empty feeling. This is the one to watch, but it's nearly two weeks out, so keep a loose eye on it – long-range calls are always a promise, not a guarantee.

As we push into the final weekend (the 19th), we get some long-period SW groundswell again (3ft at 19 seconds), but the winds are back to a gentler cross-shore, and the size is too small to be a standout.

All in all, the first ten days are a write-off unless you’re desperate. Hang in there for that Wednesday the 16th window – that's the only real glimmer of hope we've got.

Rusty.

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