Glass Beach Surf Forecast, Northern California

Northern California

Pudding Creek Beach1-2ft Virgin Creek1-2ft MacKerricher Laguna Point1-2ft

Current Conditions

Poor

Wave Height

1-2ft

ankle to knee high

Swell Period

14.35s

Wind

6mph

SW / Gusts 8mph

Conditions

Poor

Active Swells

Primary

2.4ft @ 8sNW

Secondary

1.3ft @ 14sWNW

Tertiary

0.7ft @ 12sSSW

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days

Tue, Mar 311-2ft

Poor

6am9am12pm3pm

Wed, Apr 11-2ft

Poor

Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and poor with calm winds. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 10mph.

6am9am12pm3pm

8s NW|3-10mph WSW

Thu, Apr 26-7ft

Poor - Fair

Aim for the middle of the day — 5-6ft on WNW swell at 10s with 17mph out of the NNW. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up.

6am9am12pm3pm

11s W|6-17mph NNW

Sat

Forecast Charts

Glass Beach Surf Spot Guide

Break

Reef

Bottom

Rock

Level

Advanced

Crowd

Light

Best Swell

Best Wind

Season

Fall

Glass Beach is primarily a tourist attraction in Fort Bragg famous for its colorful sea glass, not a conventional surf spot. The rocky coastline and rough terrain make water entry and exit dangerous, with waves breaking over rock and debris from the former dump site. While theoretically surfable on bigger NW swells, this is not a recognized or regularly-surfed break and should only be considered by experienced surfers familiar with rocky NorCal conditions.

RocksCobblestone bottomCold waterStrong currentsDangerous entry/exitNot a real surf break

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Glass Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Glass Beach?

The current wave height at Glass Beach is 1-2ft with a 14.35s swell period. Wind is SW at 6mph. Conditions are rated Poor.

How accurate is the Glass Beach surf forecast?

Our Glass 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.

What is the breaking wave height at Glass Beach?

The current breaking wave height at Glass Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.4ft NW primary swell at 8s, a 1.3ft WNW secondary swell at 14s, a 0.7ft 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.

When is the best time to surf Glass Beach?

Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Glass Beach is Thursday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 6ft waves, a 10.8s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.