Ocean Beach break guide

Ocean Beach Surf Guide

Ocean Beach in SF Marin is an exposed beach break that is usually a safe bet. Winter is the favoured time of year for surfing here. Offshore winds are from the east with some shelter here from northwest winds. Clean groundswells prevail and the ideal swell direction is from the west. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Good surf at all stages of the tide. A popular wave that can get growded. Beware of rocks, locals and sharks.

Ocean Beach Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach3very consistent
15.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Ocean Beach:

The best conditions reported for surf at Ocean Beach occur when a West swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

What's the best time of year to surf Ocean Beach (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Ocean Beach with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 51% of the time in January while 47% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 2% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
51%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
47%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
2%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Ocean Beach Location Map

Interactive Ocean Beach surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Ocean Beach is San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in USA, 17 km (11 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Ocean Beach is Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), also in USA, 25 km (16 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Ocean Beach Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 12:57 Local Time
Wednesday 06
2PM5PM8PM11PM
Wave (m)
0.6
SW
0.6
SW
0.8
W
0.8
W
Period (s) 15 15 13 13
Wind (km/h)
20
25
20
20
Wind State on on on on

Swell History at Ocean Beach

Surf stats for Ocean Beach, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Ocean Beach

Wind stats for Ocean Beach, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Ocean Beach Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings
Based on 6 votes.
  • Overall:3.0
  • Quality on a good day:4.2
  • Consistency of Surf:3.4
  • Difficulty Level:3.8
  • Wind and Kite Surfing:3.2
  • Crowds:2.5
  • ...

See all 18 ratings


Review
Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.
Max from United States
“Ocean Beach is the Mother of the coast. She can be sweet or bitchy or, on a rising swell, like a mother bear who is pissed you were messing with her cubs. Experienced surfer only, otherwise go to Pathetica down the road or up around the corner. Generally rolling push more than hollow, with the thick throwing lip behind. So fast it is hard to slow down. On big days stay high on take off for barrel or to have a slower drop then swing back and down to the pit under control. Sometimes stacks a wall for the all time screamer. Urban crowd not that aggro; nothing like giving someone crap on the beach only to be slapped back to shore on the paddle out or caught inside by the death bomb. Standard respect is fine. Solid dreams. Good luck”

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