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Bolinas is a sheltered beach and point break tucked behind a headland in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. The town has a famously reclusive character, with residents repeatedly tearing down road signs to discourage visitors. The wave matches the atmosphere: gentle, unhurried, and understated. Soft, slow-peeling walls crumble across a sandy and cobblestone bottom, making this one of the Bay Area's most forgiving spots. The backdrop of Bolinas Lagoon and the forested headland gives sessions a peaceful, removed quality.
The sheltered orientation means Bolinas needs either a solid west to north-west swell large enough to wrap around the headland, or a distinct south to south-west swell that enters the bay directly. Winter brings the most consistent surf from November through March. The wave works on 3-6ft of open ocean swell, which arrives heavily filtered. North-easterly winds blow offshore, and calm mornings before the afternoon sea breeze provide the cleanest conditions.
The main peak sits where the point creates a defined take-off zone on the southern end of the beach. This produces the longest, most shaped waves. The beach break peaks further north offer shorter but catchable rides. Position yourself in the deeper channel alongside the point for the easiest paddle-out, then take off on the peak as it refracts around the rocks.
Great white sharks frequent the area, particularly around the lagoon entrance and during autumn seal pupping season. The Farallon Islands breeding ground is nearby. Rip currents form along the point on bigger days. The water is cold year-round (10-14C). Fog reduces visibility frequently. The cobblestones near the point are slippery.
Limited street parking along Brighton Avenue near the beach. The town discourages tourism and parking enforcement can be strict. The beach is a short, flat walk from the road with easy access to the waterline. No formal facilities exist at the beach.
Bolinas has a small but protective local community. The regulars surf here daily and have a relaxed but territorial attitude. Show respect, don't bring a large group, and you will be tolerated. The difficult access and the locals' reputation keeps casual visitors to a minimum. Weekday mornings are virtually empty.
Bring your thickest wetsuit. The water here is influenced by deep-ocean upwelling and rarely exceeds 12C even in summer. A 5/4mm with hood, boots, and gloves is standard in winter. The wave rewards patient longboarding over aggressive shortboarding. Don't draw attention to yourself or the spot; the community values their privacy. If the point is flat, check Stinson Beach to the north which picks up more swell.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 28 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Bolinas. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Bolinas is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Flat as a lake. Save your energy for another day. Mid-period swell giving the waves decent shape and push. Heavy offshore making for difficult paddle-outs but textbook faces.
Heads up: rip risk elevated.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Reduced water clarity: ~2m visibility
Elevated phytoplankton detected, possible algal bloom
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Bolinas