Surf Forecasts:
Third Reef surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, NW swell with 1,129 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s is also forecast. 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 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 2AM. 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 13s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Third Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the coming weeks at Third Reef.
The pattern starts off a bit rough, with a lot of cross-onshore wind and messy conditions. The water is at 56°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no shock there. The first few days are a write-off for anything decent, with moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy seas. The swell is coming from the NW, but the wind is ruining it.
We see a glimmer of hope on Thursday the 13th. The afternoon session is looking like a real standout. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the west, and we’ve got a 5 ft NW swell with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (527), and the conditions are labeled as glassy. This is your best bet for clean, smooth waves. It’s a reef break, so the longer period (9s) should give it some decent shape. The following morning, Friday the 14th, is back to crummy cross-onshore winds, but that afternoon, another glass-off window opens up with a tiny 2 ft SSW swell but a very long period of 19 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and while it’s small, that period is proper. The energy is moderate (509). This could be a fun, weird little window if you’re on a log.
Saturday the 15th afternoon is another glassy moment with a 4 ft SSW swell (16s period) and an energy of 692. That’s your next best call. The combination of glassy offshores and a longer period groundswell at a reef should produce some real clean lines.
After that, the second week gets a bit messy again. We see a few more glassy sessions, like Monday the 17th afternoon with a 3 ft SSW swell (14s), but the energy is a bit lower. The main event of the second week looks like Saturday the 22nd morning. The swell bumps up to 6 ft from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy is strong (1073). But the wind is a cross-shore from the south at 9 mph, which isn’t ideal. The 22nd afternoon is a bit better with glassy 3 mph south winds, but the swell drops off a bit. For a standout, stick with the Thursday 13th afternoon glass-off.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat night, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue night, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 284 | 206 | 327 | 555 | 471 | 834 | 529 | 808 | 376 | 433 | 772 | 343 | 437 | 1129 | 384 | 297 | 193 | 169 | 210 | 280 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 7:32PM2.07m | 10:17AM1.32m | 8:38PM2.14m | 11:04AM1.42m | 9:40PM2.20m | 11:46AM1.52m | 10:37PM2.21m | 12:25PM1.62m | 11:32PM2.16m | 1:02PM1.70m | 00:26AM2.05m | 1:38PM1.77m | 1:18AM1.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:17AM-0.21m | 2:19PM1.00m | 4:13AM-0.33m | 3:32PM0.93m | 5:03AM-0.38m | 4:37PM0.81m | 5:48AM-0.37m | 5:34PM0.68m | 6:30AM-0.30m | 6:27PM0.56m | 7:09AM-0.16m | 7:20PM0.47m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | |
 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 9 | SSW 14 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 13 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 |
| kJ | 240 | 201 | 263 | 196 | 167 | 412 | 163 | 430 | 376 | 58 | 402 | 343 | 437 | 566 | 384 | 297 | 169 | 169 | 161 | 77 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | NW 10 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 35 | 51 | 37 | 28 | 25 | 165 | 98 | 60 | 102 | 113 | 209 | 207 | 137 | 173 | 206 | 201 | 193 | 150 | 138 | 280 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | SSW 12 | W 12 | W 12 | SW 21 | SW 21 | W 15 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 11 | WNW 12 | S 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 31 | 56 | 28 | 26 | 72 | 67 | 4 | 134 | 95 | 33 | 53 | 43 | 67 | 70 | 9 | 29 | 23 | 127 | 210 | 140 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | — | NW 8 | NW 9 | — | — | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 284 | 206 | 327 | 555 | 471 | 834 | 529 | 808 | — | 433 | 772 | — | — | 1129 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 386 | 29 | 243 | 699 | 3 | 193 | 29 | 0 | 238 | 29 | 3 | 169 | 29 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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