Northern California
Skip the dawn patrol — 2-3ft and poor early on.
Skip the dawn patrol — 2-3ft and poor early on.
Best window·Saturday 10AM–1PM·2-3+ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Usal 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: 2–3ft, 10s period, rated Poor - Fair. Patience pays off today — morning is poor with 2-3ft. Afternoon shapes up better with 2-3ft and poor - fair conditions.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3ft, 11s period, rated Poor - Fair. Hold off if you can — morning starts out poor with 2-3ft waves. Winds back off through the day and conditions clean up to poor - fair by PM.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and light ENE winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 8mph from the NW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3+ft, 15s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3+ft on W swell at 11s with glassy conditions. Onshore flow builds through the day to 9mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 5s period, rated Very Poor. Hold off if you can — morning starts out very poor with 1-2ft waves. Later in the day looks more promising — 1-2ft and very poor.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor today — get one free email when Usal Beach turns Good.
Check Usal Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Usal Beach is a remote, rugged stretch of Northern California coastline that offers consistent beach breaks with a raw, undeveloped character. The east-facing beach captures winter swells from the Pacific, creating shapely waves that work best during larger swell periods when the sandy bottom provides forgiving conditions. Its isolated location near the Lost Coast makes it an excellent destination for surfers seeking solitude and uncrowded waves away from the busier Humboldt County breaks.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Usal Beach is 2-3ft with a 9.2s swell period. Wind is SW at 3mph. Conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Usal Beach is 2-3ft, produced by a 5.6ft W primary swell at 9s, a 1.6ft S secondary swell at 12s, a 1.3ft SW tertiary swell at 18s. 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 Usal Beach is Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM with 3ft waves, a 9s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Usal 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 Usal 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.
Usal Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Usal Beach is a remote, rugged stretch of Northern California coastline that offers consistent beach breaks with a raw, undeveloped character. The east-facing beach captures winter swells from the Pacific, creating shapely waves that work best during larger swell periods when the sandy bottom provides forgiving conditions. Its isolated location near the Lost Coast makes it an excellent destination for surfers seeking solitude and uncrowded waves away from the busier Humboldt County breaks.
The prime season at Usal Beach 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 Usal Beach include rip currents, rocky outcrops, remote location with limited access, strong winter swells. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Usal 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).
