Swell Intel

Tolowa Dunes State Park Surf Forecast, Northern California

Northern California

Pelican State Beach1-2ftSouth Beach1-2ftBrookings1-2+ft
Tolowa Dunes State Park surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
1-2ft
knee to waist high
Swell Period
12.9s
Wind
4mph
SW / Gusts 7mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
2.8ft @ 8sNW
Secondary
1.3ft @ 13sWNW
Tertiary
0.8ft @ 12sSW

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Tue, Mar 311-2ft
Poor
6am9am12pm3pm
Wed, Apr 14-5ft
Poor

First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on NW swell at 8s with 8mph SSW winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 20mph from the SSW and dropping conditions to poor.

6am9am12pm3pm
7s NW|8-20mph S
Thu, Apr 29-10ft
Poor - Fair

Midday is the call — 9-10ft waves with moderate W wind around 13mph and poor - fair conditions. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up.

6am9am12pm3pm
11s W|8-17mph W
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Sat

Forecast Charts

Tolowa Dunes State Park Surf Spot Guide

Break
Beach
Bottom
Sand
Level
Intermediate
Crowd
Light
Best Swell
W
Best Wind
E
Season
Fall

Tolowa Dunes State Park is a vast wilderness preserve primarily known for birding and wetlands, with a remote beach that occasionally produces surfable waves. The exposed coastline faces west and picks up W and NW swells, but the lack of any surf community, cold water, and complete absence of safety infrastructure make this a spot only for self-sufficient intermediate-plus surfers.

Extreme isolationCold waterSharksStrong currentsNo lifeguards

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Tolowa Dunes State Park Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Tolowa Dunes State Park?
The current wave height at Tolowa Dunes State Park is 1-2ft with a 12.9s swell period. Wind is SW at 4mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Tolowa Dunes State Park surf forecast?
Our Tolowa Dunes State Park 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.
What is the breaking wave height at Tolowa Dunes State Park?
The current breaking wave height at Tolowa Dunes State Park is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.8ft NW primary swell at 8s, a 1.3ft WNW secondary swell at 13s, a 0.8ft 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.
When is the best time to surf Tolowa Dunes State Park?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Tolowa Dunes State Park is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 11s swell period, and conditions rated Very Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.