Point Arena is one of the best spots in the area. There are two waves here at this slab reef, a right and a left. The Left is one of the best waves in Northern California and works from chest high right through to 20ft+, though on smaller days in breaks pretty close to the reef ledge and can be dangerous. This slabby reef flicks the swell up into a steep jacking takeoff with a barrel and a thick lip, which then peels off into a deep channel. The right is similar in nature. There’s a rusted ship boiler on the inside which presents itself at low tide. The bigger the better here.
The left is the better option on smaller days and breaks south of the pier in front of the rock ledge and has a powerful, hollow face. Surf this wave at around head high plus.
We recommend riding your standard shortboard, longboard, gun, tow board, hell bring the biggest board you have when its bigger here – foam is your friend!. Point Arena in Mendocino County is best suited to intermediate to advanced surfers, it some times has a wave (4/10) and can get ridiculously crowded (9/10). The best winds for Point Arena are Northeast. The best swell direction is from the East, North, Northeast, South and Southeast.
