Mavericks
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 7 ft swell at 11 s
Tue 3 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 s
- Energy
- 1,215kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 s
- Energy
- 799kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 s
- Energy
- 307kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,668kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,725kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 s
- Energy
- 731kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,222kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 261, good
- Tue 343, poor
- Wed 469, good
- Thu 539, too small
- Fri 665, good
- Sat 716, poor
- Sun 860, good
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1060, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Expertwho it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Dec–Jan2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Mavericks 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 | 61, good | 6 ft15 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,507kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 43, poor | 6 ft13 s8 ft at break (est.) | 1,215kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 69, good | 7 ft10 s8 ft at break (est.) | 799kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 39, too small | 4 ft9 s6 ft at break (est.) | 307kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 65, good | 9 ft11 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,668kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 16, poor | 9 ft11 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,725kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 60, good | 6 ft10 s7 ft at break (est.) | 731kJ | wind from the north, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 7 ft11 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,222kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 60, good | 8 ft11 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,199kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 17°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 05:31 +0.5 mLow 10:50 −0.1 mHigh 16:23 +0.6 mLow 23:21 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:15 +0.6 mLow 12:07 −0.3 mHigh 17:48 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:15 −0.8 mHigh 06:54 +0.7 mLow 13:08 −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 Dec–Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for expert surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 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
Mavericks 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.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Mavericks
More surf near here
5 places
- El Granada 1.8 km away
- Princeton Breakwater 1.8 km away
- Roosevelt Beach 2.9 km away
- Venice Beach 3.6 km away
- Francis Beach 4.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mavericks
Facing, offshore wind, exposure and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (245°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (65°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits expert surfers. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For expert surfers the best months are usually January and December, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Half Moon Bay, 3.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
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$1,090–US$1,980 each
about US$1,090–US$1,980 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 30 October 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$261–US$536 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$60 |
| 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$1,090–US$1,980 |
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 10 min by car · 10 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Half Moon Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Montara on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 7 places to stay
- Beds in Pacifica on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 11 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 6h 55m
About 6h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SFO, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → SFO on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.