Swell Intel

Pelican State Beach Surf Forecast, Northern California

Northern California

Brookings1-2ftTolowa Dunes State Park1-2+ftSouth Beach1-2ft
Pelican State Beach surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
1-2+ft
ankle to knee high
Swell Period
12.9s
Wind
7mph
WSW / Gusts 11mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
2.2ft @ 8sNW
Secondary
1.2ft @ 13sWNW
Tertiary
0.8ft @ 12sSW

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Tue, Mar 312-3ft
Poor
6am9am12pm3pm
Wed, Apr 14-5ft
Poor

Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on WNW swell at 8s and 10mph from the SW. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 21mph from the SSW and dropping conditions to poor.

6am9am12pm3pm
7s NW|10-21mph SSW
Thu, Apr 27-8ft
Poor

Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor at 7-8ft. The breeze eases and things smooth out to fair - good by PM.

6am9am12pm3pm
12s W|4-17mph W
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Sat

Forecast Charts

Pelican State Beach Surf Spot Guide

Break
Beach
Bottom
Sand
Level
Intermediate
Crowd
Light
Best Swell
W
Best Wind
E
Season
Fall

Pelican State Beach sits just south of the Oregon border, one of the loneliest beaches in California with no facilities whatsoever. The west-facing sandy beach picks up W and NW Pacific swells, producing beach break peaks in a strikingly remote setting. While the waves themselves can be mellow, the extreme isolation, cold water, and lack of any help nearby make this unsuitable for inexperienced surfers.

Extreme isolationCold waterSharksNo facilitiesStrong currents

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

Pelican State Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Pelican State Beach?
The current wave height at Pelican State Beach is 1-2+ft with a 12.9s swell period. Wind is WSW at 7mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Pelican State Beach surf forecast?
Our Pelican State 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 Pelican State Beach?
The current breaking wave height at Pelican State Beach is 1-2+ft, produced by a 2.2ft NW primary swell at 8s, a 1.2ft WNW secondary swell at 13s, a 0.8ft SW 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 Pelican State Beach?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Pelican State Beach is Thursday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 8ft waves, a 11.45s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.