Northern California
Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and poor with 12mph S winds.
Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and poor with 12mph S winds.
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Linda Mar / Pacifica for the cleanest windows.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Linda Mar / Pacifica, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 1–2ft, 9s period, rated Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with moderate S wind around 12mph.
Fri, Sep 4: 1–2ft, 10s period, rated Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with light WNW winds.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 10s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on WNW swell at 10s and 8mph WNW winds. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 15mph and very poor by then.
Sun, Sep 6: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on SSW swell at 15s with 9mph NW winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 13mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 14s period, rated Poor. The sweet spot is around midday — 1-2ft waves, 7mph from the WNW, poor conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning. Don't wait too long — the wind comes back up after lunch.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor today — get one free email when Linda Mar / Pacifica turns Good.
Check Linda Mar / Pacifica from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Linda Mar is the Bay Area's premier learn-to-surf spot, a mile-long west-facing beach break with soft, rolling waves that rarely exceed overhead. The Pacifica valley uniquely funnels south and SE winds offshore, so Linda Mar stays clean when nearby Ocean Beach is blown out. Expect packed lineups on weekends with 50+ surfers and multiple surf schools, but the friendly, forgiving waves and sandy bottom make it ideal for beginners. Pedro Point at the south end offers a rocky left for advanced surfers.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Linda Mar / Pacifica is 1-2ft with a 8.3s swell period. Wind is S at 12mph. Conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Linda Mar / Pacifica is 1-2ft, produced by a 3.9ft WNW primary swell at 8s, a 2.1ft SSW secondary swell at 12s, a 1.5ft SW tertiary swell at 16s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Linda Mar / Pacifica is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 2ft waves, a 10.3s swell period, and conditions rated Poor. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Linda Mar / Pacifica works best with a WNW swell and SE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Linda Mar / Pacifica. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Linda Mar / Pacifica is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Linda Mar is the Bay Area's premier learn-to-surf spot, a mile-long west-facing beach break with soft, rolling waves that rarely exceed overhead. The Pacifica valley uniquely funnels south and SE winds offshore, so Linda Mar stays clean when nearby Ocean Beach is blown out. Expect packed lineups on weekends with 50+ surfers and multiple surf schools, but the friendly, forgiving waves and sandy bottom make it ideal for beginners. Pedro Point at the south end offers a rocky left for advanced surfers.
The prime season at Linda Mar / Pacifica is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Linda Mar / Pacifica include crowds, surf schools, cold water, rocks at north and south ends, rip currents. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Linda Mar / Pacifica forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
