Northern California
Get out early for the best of it — 2-3+ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and moderate S wind around 7mph.
Get out early for the best of it — 2-3+ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and moderate S wind around 7mph.
Best window·Friday 8AM–11AM·3-4ft·Good
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.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3+ft, 11s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 2-3+ft waves on WNW swell at 9s with moderate S wind around 7mph. The S wind kicks in by afternoon — 12mph and poor by then.
Fri, Sep 4: 3–4ft, 10s period, rated Poor - Fair. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 3-4ft with moderate S wind around 8mph. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on WNW swell at 9s with gentle NE breeze. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on WNW swell at 9s with glassy conditions. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 8s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on NW swell at 8s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
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 Pelican State Beach turns Good.
Check Pelican State Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
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 2-3+ft with a 9.4s swell period. Wind is SSW at 9mph. 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 2-3+ft, produced by a 5.9ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 3.5ft SSW wind swell swell at 6s, a 1.1ft 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.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Pelican State Beach is Friday from 8 AM to 11 AM with 3ft waves, a 10s swell period, and conditions rated Good. 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. 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).
