TrueSwell

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Yakutat (Cannon Beach) Surf Forecast

Gulf of Alaska, AK · America's northernmost surf town, fed by Gulf of Alaska storms.

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Yakutat (Cannon Beach) Spot Guide

Best swell

SSE
window E–SW (90°–230°)

Ideal size

2–10 ft
breaking-wave face height

Best wind

NNW
offshore · SSE is onshore

Verified against

Buoy 46083
live NOAA readings · our error

The wave

BreakWilderness beachbreak on the Gulf of Alaska
BottomSand
WavesConsistent storm-fed peaks below glaciated peaks
AbilityCapable, self-sufficient surfers — the environment is the test more than the wave.
Best tideMid
CrowdA tiny local crew in America's northernmost surf town
HazardsCold that demands 6mm rubber, isolation, bears on the beach — genuinely
AccessFly in (Alaska Airlines stops daily); beaches are a short drive from the village

Local knowledge

Yakutat became legend as the improbable surf town of the north — a Tlingit fishing village where Gulf of Alaska storms deliver waves against a backdrop of the continent's tallest coastal mountains. Fall brings the best combination of swell and workable weather; everything about surfing here is expedition-flavored, which is exactly the appeal.

FAQ

What swell direction works best at Yakutat (Cannon Beach)?

SSE swell hits Yakutat (Cannon Beach) straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from E (90°) through SW (230°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.

What wind is best at Yakutat (Cannon Beach)?

NNW wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. SSE wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.

When is the best time of year to surf Yakutat (Cannon Beach)?

Fall through winter, when Gulf of Alaska storms send consistent groundswell. Bring serious rubber.

What's the best tide at Yakutat (Cannon Beach)?

Mid. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.

Is Yakutat (Cannon Beach) good for beginners?

Capable, self-sufficient surfers — the environment is the test more than the wave.

How warm is the water at Yakutat (Cannon Beach)?

Roughly 38°F at its late-winter coldest to about 52°F in late summer. In practice that means a hooded 5/4 with boots and gloves in winter and a 4/3 in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.

How far out is this forecast reliable?

The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.

Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →