
Surf Forecasts:
Virgin Creek surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 13 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, NW swell with 545 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Virgin Creek this week:
The surf forecast for Virgin Creek over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Virgin Creek in the next 16 days are 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Virgin Creek over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s switch to feet and miles, but keep the same story.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions, with a lot of cross-onshore wind and choppy water. The wind is mostly from the NW, and it’s just not playing nice. The swell is around, but it’s short period, mostly 7-8 seconds, so it’s lacking that punch. The wave energy is moderate for the first few days, around 519 to 822 (a three-digit number, so not weak, but not exactly pumping either). Water temp is sitting at about 54°F, which is about normal for the time of year, nothing unusual there.
Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are pretty much write-offs. The waves are small to medium, but the wind is cross-on, making things messy. You’ll be fighting chop more than riding waves. Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are similar – some swell, but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, and the models are calling it poor surf. Nothing to get excited about.
Friday the 17th through Sunday the 19th sees a weird shift. We get a long-period groundswell from the WNW, with periods of 15-17 seconds. That’s a long period, which usually means better shaped waves and more energy. And the energy numbers are strong, hitting 1119 and 999. The wind is also looking better, light and onshore. But the swell height is small, only about 3 ft to 3 ft. It’s a tease. The models are still calling it “marginal,” so don’t expect a classic session. Maybe a few cleaner lines if you’re patient.
Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st bring a bit more size, with the swell popping up to 5 ft to 7 ft from the NW, but the period drops back to 8-9 seconds. The wind is light and onshore, which is a big positive. The wave energy is strong, especially Monday afternoon at 1015. This is the best bet in the near term. It’s still only a 3/10 on the score, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen so far. The break is exposed to the W, and the swell is coming from the NW, so it’s not a perfect match, but it’s close enough.
Now, Wednesday the 22nd through Friday the 24th, we’re back to small, weak, and poor conditions. A lot of SSW swell in the mix, but it’s tiny and the wind messes it up. Not worth the paddle.
Alright, here’s the big one. Look ahead to Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th. The models are lighting up. We’re talking a solid NW swell, 8 ft to 12 ft, with a moderate 9-second period. The wind is light and onshore, which is perfect. The wave energy is massive – 1307 on Saturday morning, hitting 2104 on Saturday afternoon, and a whopping 2660 on Sunday afternoon. That’s a four-digit number, meaning very strong energy. The models are even saying “wind and tide favorable,” but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. For a beginner spot, anything over 8 ft is expert territory. This is a stand-out for the experienced crew only. If you’re a beginner, stay on the beach and watch. If you’re an expert, mark your calendar for that Saturday and Sunday. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.
After that, Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th look like a repeat of the earlier pattern – messy, cross-onshore, and not great.
So, the best on offer is a two-part story: the cleanest, most rideable surf will be Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st, with manageable 5 ft to 7 ft waves and light wind. But the true standout is the big swell on July 25th and 26th, which is a powerful, heavy setup for experts only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | SW 18 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 15 | SW 17 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
289 | 331 | 346 | 153 | 198 | 317 | 216 | 429 | 352 | 297 | 355 | 448 | 433 | 498 | 499 | 487 | 379 | 348 | 339 | 439 | 489 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 12:13PM1.34m | 10:44PM2.22m | 12:57PM1.41m | 11:37PM2.19m | 1:39PM1.48m | 00:29AM2.10m | 2:20PM1.54m | 1:22AM1.94m | 3:01PM1.60m | 2:16AM1.73m | 3:43PM1.65m | 3:15AM1.50m | 4:24PM1.68m | 4:23AM1.28m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:21PM0.79m | 5:57AM-0.55m | 5:19PM0.74m | 6:42AM-0.51m | 6:17PM0.69m | 7:26AM-0.42m | 7:15PM0.64m | 8:08AM-0.27m | 8:17PM0.59m | 8:48AM-0.08m | 9:22PM0.54m | 9:28AM0.14m | 10:32PM0.47m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:42 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | NW 7 | SSW 13 | W 14 | NW 7 | SW 18 | WNW 13 | SW 16 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 16 | NW 7 | NW 7 | SW 17 | NW 8 |
133 | 118 | 229 | 69 | 104 | 227 | 194 | 57 | 161 | 286 | 283 | 448 | 433 | 498 | 136 | 111 | 357 | 140 | 158 | 439 | 359 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | S 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | W 13 | WNW 20 | WNW 20 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 14 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | SW 17 |
60 | 59 | 181 | 69 | 60 | 194 | 89 | 158 | 221 | 159 | 159 | 141 | 181 | 74 | 499 | 487 | 379 | 348 | 339 | 242 | 342 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 14 | WNW 15 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | W 11 | WNW 12 | W 12 | S 12 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 17 | NW 11 | NW 10 | SW 16 | SW 12 | WNW 14 |
37 | 76 | 133 | 49 | 113 | 95 | 57 | 100 | 66 | 30 | 25 | 11 | 104 | 177 | 130 | 362 | 90 | 58 | 203 | 23 | 183 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | — | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 |
289 | 331 | 346 | 153 | 198 | 317 | 216 | 429 | 352 | 297 | 355 | 262 | 147 | 167 | 226 | 159 | 145 | — | 218 | 295 | 489 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 128 | 357 | 0 | 218 | 15 | 0 | 200 | 321 | 4 | 258 | 258 | 0 | 218 | 321 | 0 | 258 | 40 | 0 | 188 | 40 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Mendocino County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Virgin Creek Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Virgin Creek provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Virgin Creek can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Virgin Creek 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 (Virgin Creek) 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 Virgin Creek 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.
Virgin Creek is 63 km (39 miles) from Ukiah. If you plan a vacation in Mendocino County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ukiah. Ukiah has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










