Princeton Breakwater
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
24Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft17 ssoft
- Energy
- 901kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 smushy
- Energy
- 1,132kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 983kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 359kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,542kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,534kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 539kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 149, fair
- Mon 244, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 564, good
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 814, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 4–17 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 49, fair | 3 ft13 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 297kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 44, poor | 4 ft17 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 901kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft13 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 1,132kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft9 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 983kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 64, good | 4 ft10 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 359kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,542kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,534kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 14, poor | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 539kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 1,227kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 716kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 9 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:38 +0.4 mLow 09:16 +0.0 mHigh 14:55 +0.7 mLow 22:22 −1.0 m
- 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
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
Princeton Breakwater 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 Princeton Breakwater
More surf near here
5 places
- El Granada 0.1 km away
- Mavericks 1.8 km away
- Roosevelt Beach 1.9 km away
- Venice Beach 3 km away
- Francis Beach 4.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Princeton Breakwater
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (206°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (26°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–17 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 85). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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). The town to stay in is Half Moon Bay, 3 km away (about 5 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
5 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
11 min by car · 7 places to stay
- Beds in Pacifica on Booking.com
20 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 · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.