Montara State Beach · beach break, intermediate, best on WNW/W/NW swell with E/ESE/SE wind, mid tide. Montara is a sand beach below Highway 1 about 6 km south of Linda Mar, more open to swell and often bigger. It is best on a mid-size WNW or W groundswell with morning…
Linda Mar (Pacifica State Beach) · beach break, beginner, best on NW/WNW/W swell with SE/ESE/E wind, mid to high tide. A curved sand beach in Pacifica tucked under Pedro Point, so it stays smaller and less windy than Ocean Beach. Peaks run from The Rock at the north end past the Taco…
Rockaway Beach · beach break, intermediate, best on NW/WNW/W swell with SE/ESE/E wind, low to mid tide. Rockaway is a small cove 1.3 km north of Linda Mar, with a left at the south end, a sand peak in the middle and a right off Chump's Reef at the north headland. It needs…
Mavericks · reef break, advanced, best on WNW/NW/W swell with E/ENE wind, all tides. A right-hand reef about 800 m off Pillar Point that starts breaking when a long-period WNW or NW groundswell passes about 3 m, mostly from November to March. Faces of 8…
Ocean Beach · beach break, advanced, best on W/WNW swell with E/ENE wind, all tides. San Francisco's 5.6 km (3.5 mi) west-facing beach, with sandbar peaks from Kelly's Cove at the north end to Sloat at the south. It is best in fall, when a mid-size W or…
San Gregorio State Beach · beach break, intermediate, best on SW/W/WNW swell with E/ENE/ESE wind, mid tide. San Gregorio is a wide sand beach at the San Gregorio Creek mouth, about 15 km south of Half Moon Bay, under sandstone cliffs. It is best in summer on a SW groundswell…
Fort Point · point break, advanced, best on NW/WNW swell with S/SSE/SE wind, low tide. Under the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, a left peels from the corner of the fort east along the rocks and seawall. It needs a big NW winter swell to wrap in…
When to surf in San Francisco
Best months for intermediate surfers: May, November to March. For beginners: September to October, December to January. The water goes from about 13 °C in May (5/4 mm hooded) to 16 °C in September (4/3 mm fullsuit). Best-known spots: Mavericks, Ocean Beach, Linda Mar (Pacifica State Beach). 1 of the 7 spots suit beginners, such as Linda Mar (Pacifica State Beach).
Days per month at the best third of the 7 spots for each level, from three years of wave and wind model data.
Questions
What are the best surf spots in San Francisco?
The best-known are Mavericks, Ocean Beach, Linda Mar (Pacifica State Beach), Rockaway Beach. In all, 7 spots lie within 28 km: 5 beach breaks, 1 reef break, 1 point break.
Where can beginners surf in San Francisco?
Linda Mar (Pacifica State Beach): sandy, more forgiving spots. Surf them on small days, ideally with a lesson or near the lifeguards.
When is the best time to surf in San Francisco?
For intermediate surfers May, November to March. For beginners September to October, December to January.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in San Francisco?
The sea goes from about 13 °C in May (5/4 mm hooded) to 16 °C in September (4/3 mm fullsuit).