Point Arena Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 9 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,395kJ
- Wind
- SE 12 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,239kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Thu 5 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 619kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,395kJ
- Wind
- N 13 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 3,459kJ
- Wind
- N 10 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 849kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Mon 9 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,618kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 271, good
- Tue 345, fair
- Wed 464, good
- Thu 539, too small
- Fri 649, fair
- Sat 767, good
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 982, good
- Tue 1021, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Dec1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 71, good | 8 ft15 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 2,296kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 45, fair | 7 ft13 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 1,395kJ | wind from the south-east, 12 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 64, good | 9 ft9 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 1,239kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 39, too small | 6 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 619kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 49, fair | 10 ft12 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 2,395kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 67, good | 11 ft12 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 3,459kJ | offshorewind from the north, 10 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 7 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 849kJ | offshorewind from the north, 6 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 82, good | 9 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 1,618kJ | offshorewind from the north, 7 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 21, poor | 8 ft11 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 1,416kJ | wind from the south, 16 knots | 16°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:49 +0.6 mLow 11:14 −0.1 mHigh 16:44 +0.6 mLow 23:42 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:35 +0.6 mLow 12:30 −0.3 mHigh 18:09 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:37 −0.8 mHigh 07:15 +0.7 mLow 13:33 −0.6 mHigh 19:26 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Sep–Dec
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Point Arena Cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Point Arena Cove
More surf near here
3 places
- Moat creek 4.9 km away
- Manchester Beach 6.6 km away
- Schooners Gulch 7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Point Arena Cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (224°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (44°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in October, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September, October, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Point Arena, 1.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,200–US$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$523 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,160 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Point Arena
about 5 min by car · 4 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Point Arena its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 9h 40m
About 9h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SMF, direct, then 3h 30m by road
Flights MDW → SMF on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.