Surf Forecasts:
Third Reef surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 19s period, SSW swell with 424 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Third Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Third Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Third Reef in the next 16 days are 0.8m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 16s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Third Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Third Reef. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s gonna be a tough stretch. The forecast is showing a whole lot of nothing good for a solid run of days.
We’re starting off with a long, flat spell. From Saturday the 22nd right through to around Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell is small, mostly under 3ft, and the wind is coming in cross-on from the WNW and NW. It’s choppy, messy, and not worth paddling out for. The combined energy is moderate, sitting between 232 and 914 (moderate wave energy), but the conditions just aren't lining up. It’s a real bummer.
The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Things start to look a bit different around Tuesday afternoon, 1st September. We get a bump in swell height to 6ft from the NW, but the period is a short, weak 6 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, and it’s still cross-on. It’s marginal at best. The energy jumps up to 503 (moderate wave energy), but it’s not clean enough to get excited about.
Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd see the swell staying in the 5ft to 6ft range from the NW, with periods between 7 and 10 seconds. The combined energy gets up to a strong 1083 on Thursday afternoon. But again, that cross-on wind – from WNW or NNW – keeps it choppy and lumpy. The scores on the door are still low.
Now, the standout in this whole outlook is Saturday the 5th of September. The morning is still a bit bumpy and too big for beginners at 7ft from the NW, but the real magic is Saturday afternoon. The swell drops to a still-chunky 6ft from the NW with a period of 10 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. Glassy! That is the cleanest window we’ve got. The energy is strong (1156), and for experienced surfers, this is the one to aim for. It won’t be a total classic, but after so much chop, having the ocean turn to glass is pure gold.
Overall, the first week and a half is a write-off. Don’t bother until that Saturday afternoon. It’s a long wait, but that glassy window on the 5th is your best chance for a wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 19 | NW 7 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 99 | 99 | 111 | 138 | 231 | 218 | 199 | 255 | 192 | 183 | 326 | 214 | 206 | 203 | 201 | 186 | 134 | 171 | 167 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:37AM1.22m | 7:32PM1.73m | 10:19AM1.28m | 8:30PM1.78m | 10:51AM1.35m | 9:19PM1.84m | 11:19AM1.42m | 10:05PM1.88m | 11:46AM1.49m | 10:47PM1.90m | 12:12PM1.57m | 11:29PM1.89m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:21AM0.22m | 1:13PM1.08m | 3:15AM0.14m | 2:23PM1.05m | 4:00AM0.07m | 3:22PM0.98m | 4:38AM0.01m | 4:11PM0.89m | 5:12AM-0.02m | 4:54PM0.79m | 5:43AM-0.02m | 5:34PM0.67m | |||||||
 | | |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | 8:05 | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 |
| kJ | 78 | 99 | 98 | 138 | 231 | 166 | 177 | 135 | 116 | 39 | 326 | 214 | 206 | 203 | 201 | 186 | 368 | 494 | 302 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | SW 18 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 99 | 55 | 111 | 32 | 76 | 82 | 124 | 255 | 153 | 148 | 126 | 126 | 125 | 85 | 72 | 71 | 87 | 171 | 167 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | SW 18 | S 16 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | NW 7 | W 15 | W 14 | W 8 | S 12 | WNW 7 | SW 15 | W 12 | W 10 |
| kJ | 15 | 50 | 46 | 95 | 29 | 29 | 199 | 106 | 192 | 183 | 22 | 72 | 65 | 32 | 45 | 17 | 134 | 69 | 53 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 5 |
| kJ | — | 28 | 58 | 25 | 94 | 218 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 19 | 12 | 83 | 19 | 19 | 96 | 15 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 116 | 386 | 3 | 193 | 3 | 0 | 169 | 126 | 0 | 196 | 84 | 0 | 195 | 3 | 0 | 211 | 257 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Third Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Third Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Third Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Third Reef 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 (Third Reef) 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 Third Reef 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.
Third Reef is 85 km (53 miles) from Eureka. If you plan a vacation in Humboldt County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Eureka. Eureka has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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