Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Ten Mile Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Sat, May 16: 8–9ft, 13s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 5-6ft on WNW swell at 13s with 10mph NNW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 30mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Sun, May 17: 11–12ft, 9s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 10-11ft on NW swell at 9s with strong N wind at 22mph. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 29mph from the NNW and dropping conditions to poor.
Mon, May 18: 7–8ft, 9s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 7-8ft on NW swell at 9s with light ENE winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 13mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Tue, May 19: 6–7ft, 15s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 6-7ft waves on NW swell at 9s and light winds out of the ENE. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Wed, May 20: 6–7ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 6-7ft on NW swell at 9s with barely a breath of wind. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
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Ten Mile Beach stretches for miles along the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg, offering consistent beach break peaks across a vast, empty sandy shoreline. The open W and NW swell exposure means waves are powerful and plentiful, but the remote setting, cold water, and lack of safety infrastructure require intermediate-level competence. One of the longest continuous surf beaches in NorCal.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Ten Mile Beach is 5-6ft with a 13.4s swell period. Wind is NNW at 20mph and conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Ten Mile Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 3.1ft WNW primary swell at 13s, a 0.9ft SW secondary swell at 15s, a 6.2ft NW wind swell swell at 7s. 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 Ten Mile Beach is Thursday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 8ft waves, a 9.95s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Ten Mile 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 Ten Mile 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.
Ten Mile Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Ten Mile Beach stretches for miles along the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg, offering consistent beach break peaks across a vast, empty sandy shoreline. The open W and NW swell exposure means waves are powerful and plentiful, but the remote setting, cold water, and lack of safety infrastructure require intermediate-level competence. One of the longest continuous surf beaches in NorCal.
The prime season at Ten Mile 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 Ten Mile Beach include cold water, sharks, strong currents, isolation, rip currents. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Ten Mile 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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
