Shelter Cove
Hourly
Confidence
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Timezone: America/Los_Angeles

Shelter Cove surf guide

Shelter Cove is a surf spot located at the end of a scenic, 24-mile drive west from Redway. This crescent-shaped cove faces southwest and offers some decent waves. The area can get blown out during most of the winter months, while spring and autumn are the best times to catch good swells. Summer tends to bring smaller conditions. The popular surf spot here is Deadman's, but there are a few other places worth checking out too. Just be prepared; youโ€™ll need to walk to all the surf spots once you arrive.

The surf at Shelter Cove can range from waist high (about 1 meter) to triple overhead (around 3 meters) depending on the swell size. Swells coming from the south, southwest, and west can work well here, and the breaks mainly happen over rock. You can catch both lefts and rights, with the rights being generally a bit slower than the lefts. Deadman's usually has fun waves, and if you head further south, No Pass offers some decent lefts, while Gale Point is known for its quality right-hand pointbreak. Itโ€™s important to note that the best conditions typically occur during low to mid tides and with winds from the north or northeast.

For those wanting to surf here, itโ€™s good to know that the crowd factor can be a bit of a hassle, so be ready to share the waves. The local vibe isnโ€™t always the friendliest, but the environment is mostly clean. Moreover, be cautious as great whites are known to frequent the area, adding an element of awareness needed while surfing.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Shelter Cove

DeHaven Creek/Howard Creek
California, United States
Beach break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Westport
California, United States
Beach break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Mon 3
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Mon 10
Chadbourne Gulch/Blues Beach
California, United States
Beach break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Wed 5
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Sun 9
Mon 10
Seaside Creek
California, United States
Beach break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Sun 9
Mon 10
Ward Avenue
California, United States
Beach break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
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Thu 6
Fri 7
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Sun 9
Mon 10
No Pass
California, United States
Reef break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Third Reef
California, United States
Reef break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Deadmans (Humbolt County)
California, United States
Reef break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Shelter Cove
California, United States
Reef break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
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Mon 3
Tue 4
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Fri 7
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Cape Mendocino
California, United States
Beach break
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
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Mon 10
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Confidence

Confidence tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High confidence: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium confidence: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
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We calculate the wind confidence by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. For wave certainty we compare height, period and direction, also on multiple models. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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Welcome! If youโ€™re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

๐Ÿ”ฎ Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

๐Ÿ’จ Wind section

The first row on the table (with the ๐Ÿ’จ icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

๐ŸŒŠ Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

๐ŸŒ’ Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front โ€” handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. Itโ€™s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

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Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Hereโ€™s the scale:

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