Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Wheeler 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: 6–7ft, 14s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on WNW swell at 13s and moderate NNW wind around 11mph. Onshore flow builds through the day to 17mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Sun, May 17: 9–10ft, 9s period, rated Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 8-9ft and mostly poor with 15mph out of the NW.
Mon, May 18: 6–7ft, 9s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 6-7ft on WNW swell at 9s with gentle NE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 14mph from the NNW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Tue, May 19: 6–7ft, 15s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 8-9ft waves on WNW swell at 11s with light NE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Wed, May 20: 6–7ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 7-8ft waves on WNW swell at 10s with light winds out of the NE. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
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Wheeler Beach is a remote beach break along the wild Mendocino coast, offering W swell exposure and a sandy bottom in a rugged wilderness setting. The isolation and standard NorCal hazards — cold water, sharks, strong currents — make this intermediate territory at minimum. A peaceful spot for self-sufficient surfers seeking solitude on the Lost Coast.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Wheeler Beach is 4-5ft with a 13.5s swell period. Wind is NNW at 10mph 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 Wheeler Beach is 4-5ft, produced by a 3.1ft WNW primary swell at 13s, a 1.4ft SSW secondary swell at 14s, a 4.9ft WNW 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 Wheeler Beach is Thursday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 7ft waves, a 10.75s swell period, and conditions rated Very Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Wheeler 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 Wheeler 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.
Wheeler Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Wheeler Beach is a remote beach break along the wild Mendocino coast, offering W swell exposure and a sandy bottom in a rugged wilderness setting. The isolation and standard NorCal hazards — cold water, sharks, strong currents — make this intermediate territory at minimum. A peaceful spot for self-sufficient surfers seeking solitude on the Lost Coast.
The prime season at Wheeler 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 Wheeler Beach include cold water, sharks, strong currents, isolation, heavy shorebreak. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Wheeler 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.
