RCA
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
29Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 5 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft15 ssoft
- Energy
- 896kJ
- Wind
- WNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 smushy
- Energy
- 191kJ
- Wind
- SW 8 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 101kJ
- Wind
- NW 16 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 156kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,013kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 957kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 444kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 130, too small
- Mon 246, fair
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 43, too small
- Thu 529, too small
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 853, fair
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 1024, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 30, too small | 3 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 239kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 46, fair | 5 ft15 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 896kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 3 ft12 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 191kJ | wind from the south-west, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 101kJ | wind from the north-west, 16 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 156kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,013kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 957kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 53, fair | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 444kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 766kJ | wind from the south-west, 1 knot | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 24, poor | 5 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 432kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 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 04:47 +0.4 mLow 09:27 +0.0 mHigh 15:06 +0.7 mLow 22:29 −1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:40 +0.5 mLow 11:00 −0.1 mHigh 16:34 +0.6 mLow 23:29 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:24 +0.6 mLow 12:16 −0.3 mHigh 17:58 +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 and its town
RCA 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Bolinas 1.7 km away
- Stinson Beach 5.4 km away
- North Potato Patch 14.7 km away
- Fort Cronkite (Rodeo Beach) 15.8 km away
- The Cogwheel 20.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About RCA
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (184°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (4°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 950 m out (1 in 94). 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 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Mill Valley. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
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$1,120–US$2,020 each
about US$1,120–US$2,020 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$67–US$107 |
| 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$1,120–US$2,020 |
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
3 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bolinas its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Stinson Beach on Booking.com
9 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Mill Valley on Booking.com
24 min by car · 3 places to stay
Nearest beds: Mill Valley, 14 km (about 25 min by car)
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 7h 05m
About 7h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SFO, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → SFO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.