Gray Whale Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
16Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 1,107kJ
- Wind
- SSE 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 1,041kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 290kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 1,762kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 2,246kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 596kJ
- Wind
- NNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 1,827kJ
- Wind
- NNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 257, fair
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 561, good
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 823, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Nov3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 57, fair | 4 ft17 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 814kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft13 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,107kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft9 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 1,041kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 61, good | 4 ft10 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 290kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft12 shollow11 ft at break (est.) | 1,762kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 shollow12 ft at break (est.) | 2,246kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 23, poor | 5 ft11 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 596kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft11 shollow12 ft at break (est.) | 1,827kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft12 shollow12 ft at break (est.) | 1,864kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft10 shollow11 ft at break (est.) | 1,502kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 18°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 05:29 +0.5 mLow 10:51 −0.1 mHigh 16:25 +0.6 mLow 23:20 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:15 +0.6 mLow 12:07 −0.3 mHigh 17:49 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:15 −0.8 mHigh 06:54 +0.7 mLow 13:09 −0.6 mHigh 19:03 +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 Sep–Nov
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
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Gray Whale Cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Gray Whale Cove
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More surf near here
5 places
- Montara 2.1 km away
- Linda Mar 3.8 km away
- Pedro Point 3.8 km away
- Rockaway Beach 5.2 km away
- Sharp Park 7.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Gray Whale Cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (263°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (83°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in May, June and July, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pacifica, 3.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 14°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$1,080–US$1,960 each
about US$1,080–US$1,960 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SFO, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$262–US$537 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$1,080–US$1,960 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Montara its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pacifica on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 11 places to stay
- Beds in Half Moon Bay on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 10 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 50m
About 6h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SFO, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → SFO on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.