RCA
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
41Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 6 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 279kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 smushy
- Energy
- 191kJ
- Wind
- SW 8 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 525kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 156kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Fri 6 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,040kJ
- Wind
- ESE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 957kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 36 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 122, too small
- Mon 229, too small
- Tue 310, too small
- Wed 434, poor
- Thu 520, too small
- Fri 659, fair
- Sat 761, good
- Sun 836, too small
- Mon 959, fair
- Tue 1014, too small
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
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 22, too small | 3 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 239kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft13 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 279kJ | offshorewind from the north, 4 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft12 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 191kJ | wind from the south-west, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, poor | 6 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 525kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 20, too small | 3 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 156kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 59, fair | 6 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,040kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 61, good | 6 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 957kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 36, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 444kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 59, fair | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 766kJ | wind from the south-west, 1 knot | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 14, too small | 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 experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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.