Fort Cronkite (Rodeo Beach)
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft14 smushy
- Energy
- 701kJ
- Wind
- SSE 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 114kJ
- Wind
- WNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 298kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 991kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,232kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 338kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,241kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 337, poor
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 568, good
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 1017, poor
- Wed 114, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Nov–Feb3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 37, poor | 5 ft14 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 701kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 114kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 10 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 68, good | 4 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 298kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft12 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 991kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft12 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 1,232kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 4 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 338kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.) | 1,241kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 17, poor | 6 ft11 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 702kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 4, poor | 5 ft10 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 576kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 20 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
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:10 −1.0 mHigh 07:00 +0.7 mLow 13:04 −0.4 mHigh 18:42 +0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:05 −0.8 mHigh 07:41 +0.8 mLow 14:03 −0.6 mHigh 19:52 +0.5 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 01:54 −0.7 mHigh 08:19 +0.9 mLow 14:54 −0.8 mHigh 20:55 +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 Nov–Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 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
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
Fort Cronkite (Rodeo Beach) 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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Photos of Fort Cronkite (Rodeo Beach)
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More surf near here
5 places
- The Cogwheel 5.6 km away
- Deadman's 5.7 km away
- Land's End Beach 5.7 km away
- Fort Point 6 km away
- Ocean Beach San Francisco 7.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Fort Cronkite (Rodeo Beach)
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (234°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (54°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 30). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 January, February, November and December, with about 3 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sausalito, 5.7 km away (about 10 min by car). 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$1,110–US$2,020 each
about US$1,110–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 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$60–US$101 |
| 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$1,110–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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 10 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Sausalito its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Mill Valley on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Stinson Beach on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 4 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 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 · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.