Doran Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 8 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 977kJ
- Wind
- SSE 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 888kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 519kJ
- Wind
- WNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,738kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 78 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,578kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 666kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,252kJ
- Wind
- NNE 0 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 250, fair
- Tue 351, fair
- Wed 455, fair
- Thu 534, too small
- Fri 679, good
- Sat 778, good
- Sun 854, fair
- Mon 976, good
- Tue 1043, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Doran Beach does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 50, fair | 6 ft15 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,593kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 51, fair | 6 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 977kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 55, fair | 8 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 888kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 519kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 79, good | 8 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,738kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 78, good | 10 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,578kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 54, fair | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 666kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 76, good | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,252kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 0 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 43, poor | 7 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,178kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 16°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 05:42 +0.5 mLow 11:03 −0.1 mHigh 16:36 +0.6 mLow 23:32 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:27 +0.6 mLow 12:19 −0.3 mHigh 18:01 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:27 −0.8 mHigh 07:07 +0.7 mLow 13:21 −0.6 mHigh 19:16 +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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Doran Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: 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 Doran Beach
More surf near here
5 places
- Seal rock 2.1 km away
- Salmon Creek 4.6 km away
- Omar shereef 8.8 km away
- Dillon Beach 9.5 km away
- Goat Rock 16.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Doran Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (188°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (8°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.9 km out (1 in 185). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 11°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Bodega Bay, 2.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 13°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$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–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 MDW to OAK, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–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$1,200–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 5 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bodega Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Dillon Beach on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 12 places to stay
- Beds in Jenner on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 4 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 8h 20m
About 8h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → OAK, direct, then 2h 05m by road
Flights MDW → OAK on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.