Princeton Breakwater
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
17Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 5 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 smushy
- Energy
- 1,140kJ
- Wind
- SSE 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,074kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 103kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,760kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,246kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 596kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,843kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 234, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 559, fair
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 826, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, 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
Princeton Breakwater does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 34, poor | 4 ft17 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 841kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft13 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 1,140kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft9 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,074kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 59, fair | 4 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 103kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,760kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,246kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, poor | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 596kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 1,843kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft12 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 1,835kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft10 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 1,495kJ | wind from the south, 6 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 05:31 +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.
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 beginners: 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 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$40–US$60 |
| 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$1,090–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 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
about 15 min by car · 7 places to stay
- Beds in Pacifica on Booking.com
about 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 2 November 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.