Northern California
Rideable all day with 2-3ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and barely a breath of wind.
Rideable all day with 2-3ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and barely a breath of wind.
Best window·Friday 6AM–9AM·3-4+ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Point Arena, 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: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Fair. Steady 2-3ft waves on offer on WNW swell at 8s — calm winds.
Fri, Sep 4: 3–4+ft, 11s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4+ft on NW swell at 11s with barely a breath of wind. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3+ft, 9s period, rated Fair. Rideable all day with 2-3+ft waves on NW swell at 9s and light winds out of the N. Expect the wind to bump up to around 11mph by PM.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on NW swell at 5s with calm winds. The NNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 13mph and fair by then.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3ft waves on S swell at 14s and light N winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 15mph from the NNW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Point Arena from the lineup
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Point Arena is one of the premier waves in Northern California — a ledgy slab reef producing both lefts and rights, with the left considered one of the best waves in NorCal. The wave works from chest-high to 20-foot-plus faces, breaking over a sharp rock shelf with a rusty ship boiler to avoid at low tide. A fiercely localized spot with a dedicated crew who protect their wave, this is a serious, heavy break that demands expert-level ability and local respect.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Point Arena is 2-3ft with a 9.4s swell period. Wind is SW at 1mph. Conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Point Arena is 2-3ft, produced by a 4.4ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 1.8ft S secondary swell at 12s, a 1.1ft SSW tertiary swell at 16s. 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 Point Arena is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 4ft waves, a 10.6s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Point Arena 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 Point Arena. 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.
Point Arena is a reef with a reef bottom, suited to expert surfers. Point Arena is one of the premier waves in Northern California — a ledgy slab reef producing both lefts and rights, with the left considered one of the best waves in NorCal. The wave works from chest-high to 20-foot-plus faces, breaking over a sharp rock shelf with a rusty ship boiler to avoid at low tide. A fiercely localized spot with a dedicated crew who protect their wave, this is a serious, heavy break that demands expert-level ability and local respect.
The prime season at Point Arena is winter, 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 Point Arena include sharp reef, shallow rock shelf, submerged ship wreck, sharks, localism, cold water, strong currents, heavy surf. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Point Arena 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).
