Northern California
Expect 2-3+ft waves early on WNW swell at 9s.
Expect 2-3+ft waves early on WNW swell at 9s.
Best window·Friday 6AM–9AM·4-5ft·Good
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.
Thu, Sep 3: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. 2-3+ft waves to start the day on W swell at 8s.
Fri, Sep 4: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Good. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on WNW swell at 11s and light SSE winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Sat, Sep 5: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Good. Early morning is your best window — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 9s with light E winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sun, Sep 6: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on NW swell at 9s with barely a breath of wind. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 9mph from the NW and dropping conditions to poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 5s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on WNW swell at 5s with light winds out of the ESE. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
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 Ten Mile Beach turns Good.
Check Ten Mile Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
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 2-3+ft with a 9.3s swell period. Wind is WSW at 5mph. 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 Ten Mile Beach is 2-3+ft, produced by a 5.9ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 1.3ft SSW secondary swell at 12s, a 1.1ft SW tertiary swell at 17s. 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 Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.5s swell period, and conditions rated 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. 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).
