Surf Forecasts:
Third Reef surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 22 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 12s period, NW swell with 997 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with NW 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 Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Third Reef in the next 16 days are 1.9m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 22) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 17s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Tue 22nd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Third Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's talk about it. The outlook for Third Reef over the next week or so is pretty grim, to be honest. We got a lot of wind and not a lot of quality. It's the kind of stretch where you might be better off watching the forecast and hoping for a change.
The early part of the week, the 15th, is a washout. Cross-on winds and a weak, short-period swell are on the menu. There's just no power or shape to it.
Your best bet is the afternoon of the 16th. The wind swings to the south and dies out completely, leaving it glassy. The swell is small at 1.4m but clean. It's not going to be big, but it will be the best it's been in days.
From the 17th through the 22nd, it's pretty poor. We see some long-period energy from the SW, but it's small and the wind is mostly on it, keeping things messy.
The standout by a mile is the morning of the 23rd. The wind is glassy and the swell is a solid 1.6m from the NW. It's clean and has some push. If you only get one session in, this is the one.
After that, it's a whole lot of nothing with onshore winds and small, weak swells. The 30th has a larger pulse of 2.1m from the NW, but it's short-period and has a cross-on wind, so expect it to be lumpy and disorganized. For that size, it's not really for the fainthearted.
So, there we go. Pick your moments, and don't be afraid to sit it out otherwise. This place will pump eventually, but this forecast is mostly about being patient.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | NW 8 | NW 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 383 | 233 | 227 | 273 | 262 | 205 | 198 | 160 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 314 | 375 | 375 | 383 | 414 | 366 | 429 | 574 | 492 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:22PM1.81m | 3:52AM1.33m | 2:57PM1.75m | 5:01AM1.23m | 3:36PM1.69m | 6:33AM1.19m | 4:27PM1.62m | 8:06AM1.21m | 5:35PM1.58m | 9:00AM1.27m | 6:53PM1.58m | 9:34AM1.34m | 8:01PM1.62m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:22PM0.17m | 8:45AM0.85m | 10:16PM0.22m | 9:22AM0.98m | 11:19PM0.26m | 10:14AM1.07m | 00:27AM0.27m | 11:34AM1.11m | 1:32AM0.25m | 1:01PM1.09m | 2:28AM0.21m | 2:13PM1.00m | 3:14AM0.17m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 22 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 122 | 87 | 227 | 273 | 262 | 205 | 156 | 142 | 104 | 303 | 303 | 314 | 375 | 375 | 383 | 414 | 366 | 429 | 424 | 419 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | NW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | S 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | NNW 8 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | NW 16 | NW 13 |
| kJ | 23 | 37 | 121 | 121 | 104 | 146 | 198 | 135 | 303 | 165 | 26 | 60 | 92 | 58 | 34 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 40 | 208 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 21 | S 20 | S 19 | SSW 19 | SW 14 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SSW 15 | S 11 | SSW 14 | NW 11 | SW 13 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 12 | — | W 18 | S 13 | S 12 |
| kJ | 81 | 67 | 118 | 115 | 71 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 167 | 9 | 69 | 18 | 26 | 8 | 7 | 6 | — | 6 | 29 | 12 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | — | — | SSE 3 | S 3 | — | — | NW 8 | NW 5 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 |
| kJ | 383 | 233 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | 136 | 11 | 60 | 132 | 118 | 183 | 365 | 241 | 349 | 574 | 492 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 243 | 3 | 510 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 195 | 3 | 0 | 195 | 195 | 3 | 195 | 385 | 3 | 193 | 211 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Third Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest