Northern California
First light looks cleanest — 4-5ft on WNW swell at 9s with 8mph SSW winds.
First light looks cleanest — 4-5ft on WNW swell at 9s with 8mph SSW winds.
Best window·Friday 6AM–9AM·4-6ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Agate Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 4–6ft, 11s period, rated Fair - Good. Aim for the middle of the day — 4-5ft on WNW swell at 9s with 9mph SSW winds. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Fri, Sep 4: 4–6ft, 10s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-6ft on WNW swell at 10s with 10mph S winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sat, Sep 5: 3–4+ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4+ft on WNW swell at 9s with gentle ENE breeze. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3+ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3+ft waves on NW swell at 9s with light SE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 8s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on NW swell at 8s with gentle E breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 9mph from the NNW and dropping conditions to poor.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Agate Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Agate Beach near Patrick's Point in Humboldt County is a powerful, exposed beach break described as "for experts" by local safety assessments, with huge waves, boiling surf, submerged rocks, and icy water. The NW swell exposure produces heavy, unpredictable conditions that demand experience and fitness. The dramatic coastal scenery is stunning but the surf is no joke — strong rip currents and sneaker waves are constant hazards.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Agate Beach is 4-5ft with a 9.3s swell period. Wind is SSW at 11mph. Conditions are rated Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Agate Beach is 4-5ft, produced by a 6.2ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 2.6ft SSW wind swell swell at 6s, a 1.2ft SSW tertiary swell at 12s, a 1.2ft SSW tertiary swell at 12s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Agate Beach is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.4s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Agate Beach works best with a NW swell and E winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Agate Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Agate Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to advanced surfers. Agate Beach near Patrick's Point in Humboldt County is a powerful, exposed beach break described as "for experts" by local safety assessments, with huge waves, boiling surf, submerged rocks, and icy water. The NW swell exposure produces heavy, unpredictable conditions that demand experience and fitness. The dramatic coastal scenery is stunning but the surf is no joke — strong rip currents and sneaker waves are constant hazards.
The prime season at Agate Beach is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Agate Beach include submerged rocks, strong rip currents, cold water, sharks, sneaker waves, heavy surf, steep drop-offs. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Agate Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
