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Point Arena Cove, United States

Stay in Point Arena: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Point Arena

Watch this spot We email you when Point Arena Cove is worth the trip.

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California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Point Arena Cove

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details 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 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 9 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to SMF, direct.

    See flights MDW → SMF · Skyscanner from about £220 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 30 from the airport to Point Arena Cove.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Point ArenaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Point Arena · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Point Arena · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Point Arena Cove on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct145 ft10 scrumbling481kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct07 ft9 scrumbling620kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct09 ft10 scrumbling1,703kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct494 ft7 smushy196kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct244 ft7 smushy125kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct244 ft9 scrumbling244kJ15°C
Sat 24Oct434 ft8 scrumbling180kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct06 ft7 smushy273kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct06 ft8 smushy432kJ12°C
Tue 27Oct474 ft7 smushy183kJ14°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SMF, then 3h 30 by road. About 9h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Manchester Beach

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Manchester Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Manchester Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Manchester Beach

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SMF, then 3h 30 by road. About 9h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Point Arena each day: Manchester Beach, Moat creek, Point Arena Cove, Schooners Gulch.

The trip from Point Arena, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,015–£1,835 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£220–£455
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,015–£1,835

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Point Arena

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.