Swell Intel

Ocean Beach Surf Forecast, Northern California

Northern California

Marin County1-2ftPacifica Pier0-1ftLinda Mar / Pacifica0-1ft
Ocean Beach surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
1-2ft
knee to waist high
Swell Period
14.5s
Wind
14mph
WSW / Gusts 21mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
0.9ft @ 12sSSW
Secondary
0.7ft @ 15sW
Tertiary
0.6ft @ 15sSW
Wind Swell
1.6ft @ 4sSSW

Nearest Webcam

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Tue, Mar 312-3ft
Poor
6am9am12pm3pm
Wed, Apr 11-2ft
Poor

Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with 11mph from the WSW.

6am9am12pm3pm
6s SSW|10-13mph SW
Thu, Apr 25-6ft
Poor - Fair

Midday is the call — 3-4ft waves with 11mph NNW winds and poor - fair conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.

6am9am12pm3pm
11s WSW|11-17mph NNW
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Sat
5ft
Swell building Sat, Apr 4Good

11s period — conditions are improving beyond your forecast

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Forecast Charts

Ocean Beach Surf Spot Guide

Break
Beach
Bottom
Sand
Level
Advanced
Crowd
Heavy
Best Swell
W
Best Wind
E
Season
Winter

Ocean Beach is one of the heaviest beach breaks in North America, stretching 3.5 miles along San Francisco's western edge where powerful Pacific groundswells unload onto constantly shifting sandbars. Winter swells regularly produce double-overhead-plus surf with a notorious "zone of death" paddle-out through relentless whitewater and strong currents generated by the Golden Gate tidal exchange. Even experienced surfers treat OB with serious respect — this is not a learner's wave.

Strong currentsHeavy shorebreakCold waterShifting sandbarsSharksRip currentsLarge surf

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Ocean Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Ocean Beach?
The current wave height at Ocean Beach is 1-2ft with a 14.5s swell period. Wind is WSW at 14mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Ocean Beach surf forecast?
Our Ocean Beach 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.
What is the breaking wave height at Ocean Beach?
The current breaking wave height at Ocean Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 0.9ft SSW primary swell at 12s, a 0.7ft W secondary swell at 15s, a 0.6ft SW tertiary swell at 15s, a 1.6ft SSW wind swell swell at 4s. 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.
When is the best time to surf Ocean Beach?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Ocean Beach is Friday from 8 AM to 11 AM with 6ft waves, a 11.75s swell period, and conditions rated Very Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.