Northern California
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Pelican State Beach for the cleanest windows.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Pelican State Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Tue, Jun 30: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3ft waves on NW swell at 9s and barely a breath of wind. Onshore flow builds through the day to 14mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Wed, Jul 1: 3–4ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. Slim pickings today — 2ft and poor - fair with 8mph from the NNE.
Thu, Jul 2: 2–3ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 2ft and mostly poor - fair with gentle NE breeze. Afternoon breeze fills in to 8mph.
Fri, Jul 3: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Poor. Morning kicks off with 1-2ft on WNW swell at 6s.
Sat, Jul 4: 2–2ft, 14s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 2ft and mostly poor - fair with calm winds.
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.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Pelican State Beach is 2ft with a 8.9s swell period. Wind is N at 6mph and 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 Pelican State Beach is 2ft, produced by a 5.3ft NW primary swell at 9s, a 0.9ft SW secondary swell at 14s, a 0.5ft SW tertiary swell at 20s. 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 Pelican State Beach is Tuesday from 3 PM to 6 PM with 3ft waves, a 7.65s swell period, and conditions rated Poor - Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Pelican State 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 Pelican State 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.
Pelican State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. 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.
The prime season at Pelican State 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 Pelican State Beach include extreme isolation, cold water, sharks, no facilities, strong currents. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
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. Visit /public/accuracy for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
