A submerged reef right-hander breaking in genuine solitude deep in Alaska's wilderness, Good Rats rewards the surfer willing to put in serious logistical effort to reach it. The wave responds to SW to W swell, works best at mid tide, and fires with E winds keeping the face clean. Size range sits between 2 and 8ft, with the better, more organized walls showing at the upper end of that window. This is intermediate-friendly wave quality in an expert-level access situation: expect to surf it alone or with whoever made the trip out with you. Bottom: submerged reef. Season: fall and winter swell season. Consistency: medium. Getting here requires planning well beyond packing a board bag, so treat any session as a bonus, not a guarantee.
You will almost certainly surf this alone. The crowd is zero to minimal by pure geography. There is no localism pressure to speak of, but the remoteness itself demands respect: no backup, no lifeguard, no nearby help. Treat the isolation with the same caution you would give a heavy local lineup.
No parking, no facilities, and a long way from anywhere are the defining access facts. A boat is the realistic approach for most surfers. Come fully self-sufficient: food, water, first aid, cold-water gear. Water temps demand a 5/4 at minimum, with booties and hood standard. Plan your window around swell and wind forecasts before committing to the journey.
When Good Rats is not cooperating, the broader Sitka and South Kruzof Island area offers Shoals Reef and Shoals Point on similar SW swell, or Kai's Place for a rocky left option. Red Tree Reef needs bigger SW energy but is in the same regional orbit for a boat-based multi-spot mission.
Forecast by Windy.app
