.jpg){kind=link}
Cliffs
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 7 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,339kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,077kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 408kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,067kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,634kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 990kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,180kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 243, too small
- Tue 362, good
- Wed 469, good
- Thu 552, fair
- Fri 675, good
- Sat 767, good
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 979, good
- Tue 1069, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Jul–Oct4 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 43, too small | 5 ft16 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,309kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 62, good | 6 ft14 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,339kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 69, good | 8 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,077kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 52, fair | 6 ft8 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 408kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 75, good | 7 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,067kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 67, good | 10 ft13 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 2,634kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 7 ft11 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 990kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 79, good | 7 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,180kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 69, good | 8 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,288kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 19°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:16 +0.5 mLow 10:32 −0.1 mHigh 16:01 +0.5 mLow 23:04 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:55 +0.6 mLow 11:46 −0.3 mHigh 17:23 +0.5 mLow 23:54 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:30 +0.7 mLow 12:45 −0.5 mHigh 18:35 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jul–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Cliffs on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Cliffs
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
More surf near here
5 places
- Leffingwell Landing 0.5 km away
- Moonstone 0.5 km away
- Moonstone beach 0.5 km away
- Ponytails 2.7 km away
- Boners 4.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Cliffs
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (231°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (51°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 61). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually July, August, September and October, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cambria, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,210–US$2,170 each
about US$1,210–US$2,170 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$261–US$536 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,210–US$2,170 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 28 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Cambria its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in San Simeon on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Cayucos on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 19 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 9h 05m
About 9h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 2h 35m by road
Flights ORD → MRY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.