Stinson Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
0Poor out of 100 for your dates
Every day scores the same
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft13 smushy
- Energy
- 660kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 605kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 980kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,433kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 396kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 701kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Oct–Nov1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 3 ft17 scrumbling1 ft at break (est.) | 599kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 5 ft13 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 660kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 605kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 980kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,433kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 396kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 701kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 698kJ | 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 05:42 +0.6 mLow 11:01 −0.1 mHigh 16:39 +0.6 mLow 23:30 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:27 +0.7 mLow 12:18 −0.3 mHigh 18:03 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:25 −0.8 mHigh 07:07 +0.8 mLow 13:20 −0.6 mHigh 19:16 +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 Oct–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 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
- Dec0of 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
Stinson Beach 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 Stinson Beach
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More surf near here
5 places
- Bolinas 4.3 km away
- RCA 5.4 km away
- Fort Cronkite (Rodeo Beach) 11.2 km away
- Double point 13.9 km away
- Fort Point 17 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Stinson Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (207°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (27°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 51). 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). For beginners the best months are usually October and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Stinson Beach, 0.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 1 wind sports spot and 1 climbing area.
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$1,140–US$2,060 each
about US$1,140–US$2,060 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$87–US$147 |
| 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$1,140–US$2,060 |
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 · 4 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Stinson Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Bolinas on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 1 place to stay
- Beds in Mill Valley on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 3 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 7h 20m
About 7h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SFO, direct, then 1h by road
Flights MDW → SFO on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.