Point Arena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Rusty here, looking at the Point Arena outlook for the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next few days are a write-off. We’re looking at a real slow start. The swell is small and the wind is just messy. Wednesday the 5th through Saturday the 8th are all pretty grim with cross-onshore junk and weak, choppy surf. Not worth paddling out for. You’d be fighting a losing battle.

The real story starts to build on Sunday the 9th. A solid NW groundswell is set to push through, and it’s a big one. By Sunday afternoon, we’re talking a clean 11.5ft swell from the northwest with a 9-second period and a massive combined energy of 1765. The wind turns clean cross-offshore, making Point Arena look like a proper beast. But here’s the thing – that’s expert territory. 11.5ft is serious, and this reef break will be heavy. For the average punter, this is a watch-and-worship day. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing too wild.

From Monday the 10th through to the middle of the week, the swell stays big, hanging around 10ft, but the wind is more cross-shore, putting a bit of chop on it. The energy is still strong (over 1300 in the mornings), but the quality drops off a little. It’s still a big, powerful NW groundswell, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. This break is very consistent, so there will be plenty of waves, but they’ll be big and demanding.

The standout option here, without a doubt, is the Sunday afternoon session on the 9th. That’s the one. Clean, massive, and powerful. If you’re an experienced surfer and you can handle the size, that’s the window. After that, the swell slowly drops through the second week, but it remains in the 5ft to 8ft range with periods around 8-9 seconds. The wind is a bit of a mix, with some clean cross-offshore moments but also some cross-shore chop. The crowds are "often" an issue here, so expect company, especially on the cleaner days.

The real bummer is the first week of the 16-day window. You’ve got a solid 4-day gap of near-zero surf before it kicks off. Once it does, it’s a powerful run, but it’s not for beginners. If you’re after a mellow paddle, this isn’t your window.

Stay safe out there.

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