Taraval
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 7 ft swell at 12 s
Tue 3 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 723kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 612kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 161kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,135kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,513kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 436kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 755kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 245, fair
- Tue 341, too small
- Wed 453, fair
- Thu 531, too small
- Fri 677, good
- Sat 784, good
- Sun 841, too small
- Mon 968, good
- Tue 1029, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Oct–Dec3 good days in 7
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 45, fair | 5 ft16 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 923kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 41, too small | 5 ft13 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 723kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 53, fair | 6 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 612kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 31, too small | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 161kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 77, good | 6 ft12 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 1,135kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 84, good | 7 ft12 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,513kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 41, too small | 5 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 436kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 68, good | 6 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 755kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 1 knot, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 29, poor | 6 ft11 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 753kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 8 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 05:35 +0.6 mLow 10:56 −0.1 mHigh 16:32 +0.6 mLow 23:25 −1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:20 +0.7 mLow 12:12 −0.3 mHigh 17:56 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:20 −0.8 mHigh 07:00 +0.8 mLow 13:14 −0.6 mHigh 19:10 +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–Dec
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Taraval 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.
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Photos of Taraval
More surf near here
5 places
- Noriega 1.4 km away
- Ocean Beach San Francisco 2.7 km away
- Land's End Beach 5.1 km away
- The Cogwheel 5.1 km away
- Deadman's 5.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Taraval
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (253°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (73°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 69). 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 intermediate surfers the best months are usually October, November and December, with about 3 good days in 7; in June and July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Francisco. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots, 3 wind sports spots and 1 climbing area.
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$1,110–US$2,000 each
about US$1,110–US$2,000 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$54–US$87 |
| 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$1,110–US$2,000 |
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
about 20 min by car · 566 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About San Francisco its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in South San Francisco on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 48 places to stay
- Beds in Sausalito on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 10 places to stay
Nearest beds: San Francisco, 10 km (about 20 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
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SFO, direct, then 45 min by road
Flights MDW → SFO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.