Seal rock
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
8Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 9 s, onshore wind, 11 kn (20 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 s
- Energy
- 1,273kJ
- Wind
- SSE 12 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 s
- Energy
- 703kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 s
- Energy
- 236kJ
- Wind
- NW 11 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 s
- Energy
- 2,018kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 s
- Energy
- 2,761kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 s
- Energy
- 781kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 s
- Energy
- 2,260kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 237, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 542, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Oct–Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 37, poor | 3 ft13 s5 ft at break (est.) | 278kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft13 s7 ft at break (est.) | 1,273kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 12 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 s8 ft at break (est.) | 703kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, poor | 4 ft9 s4 ft at break (est.) | 236kJ | wind from the north-west, 11 knots | 17°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 s8 ft at break (est.) | 2,018kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 s9 ft at break (est.) | 2,761kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 781kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 s9 ft at break (est.) | 2,260kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 s9 ft at break (est.) | 2,640kJ | wind from the south-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft10 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,789kJ | wind from the east, 6 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 +0.5 mLow 11:03 −0.1 mHigh 16:36 +0.6 mLow 23:32 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:27 +0.6 mLow 12:19 −0.3 mHigh 18:01 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:27 −0.8 mHigh 07:07 +0.7 mLow 13:21 −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 intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 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
Seal rock 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 Seal rock
More surf near here
5 places
- Doran Beach 2.1 km away
- Salmon Creek 6.2 km away
- Dillon Beach 8.8 km away
- Omar shereef 10.3 km away
- Goat Rock 18.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Seal rock
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (227°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (47°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 11°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually October and November, with about 2 good days in 7; in May and June, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Bodega Bay, 4.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports 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$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 OAK, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$537 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,200–US$2,170 |
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 · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bodega Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Dillon Beach on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 12 places to stay
- Beds in Jenner on Booking.com
about 35 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 8h 20m
About 8h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → OAK, direct, then 2h 05m by road
Flights MDW → OAK 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.