Northern California
ankle to knee high
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Mavericks for the cleanest windows.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Mavericks, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Poor. Not the most exciting day — 1-2ft and poor conditions with barely a breath of wind.
Tue, Sep 8: 1–2ft, 12s period, rated Poor. Not the most exciting day — 1-2ft and poor conditions with light winds out of the SSE.
Wed, Sep 9: 1–2ft, 10s period, rated Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with light winds out of the WNW.
Thu, Sep 10: 1–2ft, 17s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on SSW swell at 9s and calm winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 7mph from the W and dropping conditions to poor.
Fri, Sep 11: 1–2ft, 8s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on WNW swell at 6s with 7mph NW winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Regional Outlook
San Francisco
A long-period southerly swell from distant tropical activity in the East Pacific runs early in the week at 12s to 13s from the southwest. Nothing reaches Fair on the board, and the window closes fast: Tuesday morning is the best look at Poor-Fair before northwest wind strengthens late in the week. Thursday's 17s west-southwest pulse arrives as long-range groundswell but meets onshore air. Dunes Beach rates Fair Tuesday morning through afternoon; by the weekend strong onshore flow drops the board to Very Poor.
Updated Sep 8
Poor today — get one free email when Mavericks turns Good.
Check Mavericks from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Mavericks is one of the most dangerous big-wave spots on the planet, a right-hand reef off Pillar Point that only turns on for serious W to NW swells with long periods (17+ seconds). The wave throws over a jagged reef into extreme cold water shared by white sharks, and a successful session typically requires a jet-ski, a safety crew, and years of big-wave experience. Strictly for verified big-wave surfers.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Mavericks is 1-2ft with a 13.1s swell period. Wind is NNW at 6mph. Conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Mavericks is 1-2ft, produced by a 5ft SSW primary swell at 13s, a 2.6ft WNW wind swell swell at 7s, a 1ft W tertiary swell at 13s. 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 Mavericks is Thursday from 10 AM to 1 PM with 1ft waves, a 8.9s swell period, and conditions rated Poor - Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Mavericks works best with a WNW swell and E 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 Mavericks. 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.
Mavericks is a reef with a reef bottom, suited to expert surfers. Mavericks is one of the most dangerous big-wave spots on the planet, a right-hand reef off Pillar Point that only turns on for serious W to NW swells with long periods (17+ seconds). The wave throws over a jagged reef into extreme cold water shared by white sharks, and a successful session typically requires a jet-ski, a safety crew, and years of big-wave experience. Strictly for verified big-wave surfers.
The prime season at Mavericks is winter, 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 Mavericks include huge surf, shallow reef, cold water, strong currents, sharks, jet-ski traffic. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Mavericks 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).
