Northern California
Aim for the middle of the day — 3-4+ft on W swell at 9s with barely a breath of wind.
Aim for the middle of the day — 3-4+ft on W swell at 9s with barely a breath of wind.
Best window·Thursday 11AM–2PM·3-4+ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Anderson 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: 3–4+ft, 10s period, rated Good. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 3-4+ft with glassy conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down. Afternoon wind picks back up so try to get wet before 2pm.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3+ft, 11s period, rated Poor - Fair. Skip the dawn patrol — 2-3+ft and poor - fair early on. Winds back off through the day and conditions clean up to poor - fair by PM.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on WNW swell at 9s with light ENE winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 15s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on W swell at 11s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 9mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 5s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on WNW swell at 5s with gentle E breeze. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Anderson Beach from the lineup
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Anderson Beach is a remote Northern California gem located along the rugged Mendocino County coastline, where consistent northwest swells wrap into the cove to produce punchy, hollow beach break peaks. The beach faces roughly eastward in orientation relative to the transect, benefiting from offshore winds that blow from the inland hills and valleys, cleaning up the faces nicely during morning glass sessions. Its isolation along this sparsely populated stretch of the Northern California coast means crowds are rarely an issue, rewarding those willing to make the journey with uncrowded waves.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Anderson Beach is 3-4+ft with a 9.2s swell period. Wind is SSW at 1mph. Conditions are rated Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Anderson Beach is 3-4+ft, produced by a 5.5ft W primary swell at 9s, a 1.6ft S secondary swell at 12s, a 1.3ft SW tertiary swell at 17s. 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 Anderson Beach is Thursday from 11 AM to 2 PM with 4ft waves, a 9.2s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Anderson Beach works best with a W 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 Anderson 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.
Anderson Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Anderson Beach is a remote Northern California gem located along the rugged Mendocino County coastline, where consistent northwest swells wrap into the cove to produce punchy, hollow beach break peaks. The beach faces roughly eastward in orientation relative to the transect, benefiting from offshore winds that blow from the inland hills and valleys, cleaning up the faces nicely during morning glass sessions. Its isolation along this sparsely populated stretch of the Northern California coast means crowds are rarely an issue, rewarding those willing to make the journey with uncrowded waves.
The prime season at Anderson Beach is winter, 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 Anderson Beach include cold water, strong currents, sharks, rocky shoreline, rip tides, remote location with limited access. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Anderson 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).
