Northern California
Aim for the middle of the day — 3-4+ft on WNW swell at 8s with light WSW winds.
Aim for the middle of the day — 3-4+ft on WNW swell at 8s with light WSW winds.
Best window·Friday 6AM–9AM·4-5ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Glass 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: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Fair - Good. The sweet spot is around midday — 3-4+ft waves, light WSW winds, fair - good conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Fri, Sep 4: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-5ft on WNW swell at 11s with gentle S breeze. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sat, Sep 5: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Good. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and light E winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the NNW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on NW swell at 9s with barely a breath of wind. The NNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 13mph and very poor by then.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3+ft, 5s period, rated Poor - Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3+ft waves on WNW swell at 5s and glassy conditions. The NNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 11mph and very poor by then.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor - Fair today — get one free email when Glass Beach turns Good.
Check Glass Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
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.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Glass Beach is 3-4+ft with a 9.3s swell period. Wind is WSW at 6mph. Conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Glass Beach is 3-4+ft, produced by a 5.9ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 1.2ft SSW secondary swell at 12s, a 1.1ft 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 Glass Beach is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 4ft waves, a 10.5s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Glass 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 Glass 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.
Glass Beach is a reef with a rock bottom, suited to advanced surfers. 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.
The prime season at Glass 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 Glass Beach include rocks, cobblestone bottom, cold water, strong currents, dangerous entry/exit, not a real surf break. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
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. 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).
