The Patch Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.90° N 122.70° W

The Patch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Patch sea temperature is
14.7° C
1.3° 

The Patch surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Patch surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with 880 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Patch this week:

The surf forecast for The Patch over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Patch in the next 16 days are 1.0m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sun 19th Jul)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Best Surf 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Patch over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, looking at what's on the cards for our local patch.

The Patch is the only game in town, and it's a stretch of pretty small, marginal surf for the first week or so. The water's a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 59°, which is a nice little bonus. The waves are there, but they're tiny – think waist-high at best, around 2ft to 3ft, mostly from the SW. The wind is a persistent cross-shore, which keeps it from being totally clean. The combined energy is moderate, sitting in the 400-600 range (moderate wave energy), and the periods are around 13-18 seconds, suggesting a bit of groundswell that will offer some shape but longer waits between sets.

The real standout here is not until Saturday, July 25th, and then again into the following week. On the morning of Saturday the 25th, the swell picks up a touch to 3ft from the SW, but the wind goes clean, light cross-off from the WNW. The energy jumps to 1183 (strong wave energy), which is the best we'll see in the first week. The conditions are called excellent for experienced surfers, which is a big call.

Monday, July 27th morning is also a beauty. The swell is 3ft, but the wind is nearly glassy, just a light cross-off, and the energy is 989 (strong). It'll be clean and offering some fun little shoulders.

Then, the real power shows up. On Tuesday, July 28th morning, the swell holds at 4ft from the SW, with a glassy 5 km/h cross-wind. The combined energy hits 1480 (strong to very strong wave energy). That’s the biggest, cleanest swell of the whole run, and it's perfect for a spot like The Patch. The crowds are listed as "sometimes" here, so you might find a few heads out, but with that glassy morning, it'll be worth it.

Into the second week, things get more interesting. On Wednesday, July 29th morning, expect a 7ft swell, but it's short-period (8 seconds) and from the NW. That's a lot of energy (1565), but that short period at a beach break means it'll be a bit of a washing machine. That's expert territory, possibly more interesting for kite surfing than a relaxing paddle session. The cleanest windows in the second week look like Thursday, July 30th afternoon, and Friday, July 31st morning, with 3ft to 4ft SSW swell and clean, cross-off winds. The energy is still strong in the 800-900 range.

For the very end of the run, into August 1st and 2nd, the swell turns a bit raw again. The Saturday morning of August 1st looks best with a 4ft SSW swell and light, clean wind. The energy is moderate (549). After that, the swell jumps to 7ft on Sunday, August 2nd, but it's back to a short-period, choppy mess from the WNW.

So, to boil it down: don't bother with the first week unless you're desperate for a knee-high paddle. The standouts are Saturday, July 25th morning (3ft, SW, clean, strong energy) and the personal best of the whole forecast: Tuesday, July 28th morning (4ft, SW, glassy, very strong energy). That's the one to circle on the calendar. The second week also has clean windows on July 30th afternoon and July 31st morning, but the Tuesday is the absolute peak.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Sat
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
W
16
0.6
W
16
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SW
17
0.7
SW
17
0.7
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
1
SSW
13
0.8
SW
14
0.6
SW
15
0.7
SW
16
0.7
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
0.5
SW
26
0.7
SW
24
0.7
SW
24
0.6
SW
22
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
258
174
167
297
270
242
291
291
342
248
178
245
194
208
208
194
329
546
541
386
Wind (km/h)
15
W
10
WNW
10
WSW
15
W
10
WSW
10
WSW
10
W
10
WNW
15
W
20
WNW
15
W
10
W
20
WNW
15
WNW
15
WNW
20
WNW
15
WNW
15
W
20
WNW
20
WNW
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:59PM1.20m
3:28AM1.05m
4:38PM1.22m
4:36AM0.91m
5:18PM1.23m
6:02AM0.80m
6:00PM1.23m
7:47AM0.77m
6:45PM1.23m
9:22AM0.80m
7:32PM1.24m
10:30AM0.86m
8:20PM1.25m
Low Tide
10:26PM0.35m
10:24AM0.11m
11:33PM0.30m
11:09AM0.24m
00:42AM0.24m
11:57AM0.37m
1:50AM0.17m
12:54PM0.49m
2:52AM0.11m
1:58PM0.56m
3:47AM0.05m
3:02PM0.61m
4:34AM0.00m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:03
6:03
6:03
6:05
6:05
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:30
8:30
8:29
8:29
8:28
8:27
8:27
 mm
Temp °C
15
12
15
16
14
14
16
14
15
16
13
16
17
14
16
16
13
16
16
13
Feels °C
13
9
14
14
13
13
15
12
13
13
10
15
15
11
14
13
10
14
13
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for The Patch:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Patch surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


Information about the The Patch Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The Patch provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Patch can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Patch surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Patch) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Patch may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

The Patch is 15 km (9 miles) from the city of Corte Madera. If you plan a vacation in Marin County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Corte Madera. Corte Madera has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

Nearest locationNearest