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Goat Rock Beach
Goat Rock. Photo: John Uhrig from Davis, CA, United States, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Goat Rock

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

59Fair out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Mon 9: 8 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 51 out of 100

Swell
6 ft13 scrumbling
Energy
1,015kJ
Wind
ESE 5 kn
Temp
15°C

Wed 4 · 47 out of 100

Swell
8 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
1,004kJ
Wind
NNE 3 kn
Temp
17°C

Thu 5 · 32 out of 100

Swell
5 ft10 scrumbling
Energy
388kJ
Wind
W 4 kn
Temp
17°C

Fri 6 · 54 out of 100

Swell
8 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
1,837kJ
Wind
NNW 6 kn
Temp
18°C

Sat 7 · 67 out of 100

Swell
10 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
2,600kJ
Wind
E 5 kn
Temp
18°C

Sun 8 · 49 out of 100

Swell
6 ft10 scrumbling
Energy
694kJ
Wind
W 3 kn
Temp
18°C

Mon 9 · 84 out of 100

Swell
8 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
1,330kJ
Wind
SSW 2 kn
Temp
17°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 264, good
  2. Tue 351, fair
  3. Wed 447, fair
  4. Thu 532, too small
  5. Fri 654, fair
  6. Sat 767, good
  7. Sun 849, fair
  8. Mon 984, good
  9. Tue 1033, poor

The spot in six facts

  • Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
  • Offshore: NEwind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 2–10 ftof swell
  • Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
  • Best in Oct2 good days in 7

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Goat Rock, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov64, good6 ft15 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.)1,684kJwind from the west, 3 knots16°C
Tue 3Nov51, fair6 ft13 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.)1,015kJwind from the east-south-east, 5 knots15°C
Wed 4Nov47, fair8 ft9 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.)1,004kJwind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore17°C
Thu 5Nov32, too small5 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.)388kJwind from the west, 4 knots17°C
Fri 6Nov54, fair8 ft12 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.)1,837kJwind from the north-north-west, 6 knots18°C
Sat 7Nov67, good10 ft11 scrumbling10 ft at break (est.)2,600kJwind from the east, 5 knots, offshore18°C
Sun 8Nov49, fair6 ft10 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.)694kJwind from the west, 3 knots18°C
Mon 9Nov84, good8 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.)1,330kJwind from the south-south-west, 2 knots17°C
Tue 10Nov33, poor8 ft11 smushy8 ft at break (est.)1,231kJwind from the south-south-east, 8 knots17°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 05:43 +0.5 mLow 11:06 −0.1 mHigh 16:37 +0.6 mLow 23:34 −0.9 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 06:29 +0.6 mLow 12:22 −0.3 mHigh 18:02 +0.5 m
  • Wed 4 NovLow 00:29 −0.8 mHigh 07:09 +0.7 mLow 13:24 −0.6 mHigh 19:18 +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

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 Goat Rock

Arched Rock as seen from Goat Rock Beach
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rocks and surf on Goat Rock Beach
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bodega Bay, California, USA -Goat Rock Beach - panoramio
Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Goat Rock

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces SW (237°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (57°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 11°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Jenner, 1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 climbing area.

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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to OAK, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$255–US$536
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout 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

Closest

Jenner

about 5 min by car · 4 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 4 places to stay in Jenner · Booking.com

About Jenner its beds, food and every spot near it

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 35m

About 8h 35m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → OAK, direct, then 2h 15m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.