Ocean Beach SF
United States · North America
Right now
OvercastWind and swell direction
Swell: 0.9m WNW
Wind: 12 km/h W (onshore)
Beach faces: W
Onshore wind (blowing from sea to land). Expect choppier, less defined waves.
Swell is arriving at a great angle for this beach.
Today hour by hour
Updated 10:26Expected crowds
Prediction model v16amDawn patrol territory
7amMidweek quiet
Next 7 days
Forecast via Open-MeteoWhat to pack
- 4/3mm wetsuit recommended for 15°C water.
- Small waves expected. Longboard or fish to make the most of it.
- Strong winds on some days. Check the forecast each morning.
Today's briefing
0.8m swell at 12s with good period. Onshore wind creating some chop. Water temperature 15°C.
AI-generated summary for Ocean Beach SF. Always check local reports before heading out.
Forecast accuracy at Ocean Beach SF
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
Best time to go
No great windows in the next 2 days
Best available option is Tomorrow around 11am (score: 24). Conditions are below the Good threshold but may still be surfable.
Crowd report
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Session journal
Record your session, conditions and gear.
Sign up to save favourite spots and get surf alerts
Create free accountTide
Approximate modelSwell forecast
7-day forecastDaily score breakdown
This week is looking slightly above average for late April.
Comparing the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Ocean Beach SF.
What's driving it
Recent form
Last 3 days of logged conditions.
About Ocean Beach SF
Ocean Beach is an expansive, remarkably heavy beach break situated in San Francisco, California, directly exposed to the violent North Pacific Ocean. The bathymetry relies entirely on complex, shifting silica sandbanks strongly influenced by the massive tidal outflow from the adjacent Golden Gate Strait. This coastal environment captures unattenuated north-westerly winter groundswells, funnelling raw, concentrated ocean energy directly onto the nearshore sandbars. When an immense, long-period swell strikes these compacted banks, it produces incredibly thick, top-to-bottom plunging A-frame peaks that resemble heavy reef slabs. An easterly offshore wind is necessary to hold the wave face open and combat the frequent coastal fog. The combination of freezing water, severe littoral rip currents, immense hold-downs, and an extraordinarily demanding paddle-out renders Ocean Beach strictly the domain of advanced to elite surfers. It is a highly consequential, heavy-water arena that requires supreme physical endurance and exceptional wave-reading mechanics to survive the brutal line-up.
Working in Ocean Beach SF this season?
Create a free profile and let employers in Ocean Beach SF find you.
Create Profile →Frequently asked questions
How often is this page updated?
Current conditions refresh every 6 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.
What is the luck factor?
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Ocean Beach SF. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical late April.
How is 'best session' picked?
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Where does the data come from?
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Does the score capture local knowledge?
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.
When is the best time to surf Ocean Beach SF?
Check our timing score heatmap above for a week-by-week breakdown combining surf conditions with crowd pressure.