Surf spot

Rockaway Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Rockaway Beach in USA, California, San Mateo. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, San Mateo
Coordinates: 37.6098, -122.4974

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	1	1.3	1.3	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.2	1	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	1.1	1.4	1.7	1.8	1.7	1.6	1.6	1.8	2	1.9	1.8	1.8	1.7	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1	1.1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.5
Wave direction	NW	NW	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	WNW	WNW	NW	NW	SW	WNW	SW	WNW	NW	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	SSW
Wave period (s)	5.1	5.3	5.4	4.8	5.4	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.1	5.1	5	5.1	4.8	4.8	5.8	5.3	9.9	5.2	9.6	5.3	6.7	6.8	7.8	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.1	6.2	6.3	6.4	6.5	6.2	6	6	6	6	6	6.1	6	5.9	5.9	6	6	6	6.2	6.8	6	6	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.7	5.7	5.7	5.7	12.5
Wave energy (kJ)	50	90	96	60	90	77	78	93	80	80	81	72	63	50	31	29	46	17	39	13	26	31	28	98	149	208	241	229	206	215	262	295	276	248	233	200	183	163	145	129	125	129	129	124	116	89	89	78	64	54	47	40	34	32	28	85
Wind speed (km/h)	10.7	9.2	11.7	12.6	17	18	16.6	13.7	16.2	15.2	15.5	16	31.2	32	31.7	21.4	23.1	12.5	6.1	7	17.1	22.4	15.4	7.6	5.9	3.6	5.1	6	11.6	20.5	18.1	13.2	11.9	11	10.2	8.9	19.2	16.4	12.9	7.7	10.4	10	7.2	10	21.2	21.3	13	10	8.7	7.2	6.6	8.4	16.2	15.6	12.3	8.7
Wind direction	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	NWCross-on	WNWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WOnshore	SWCross-on	SWGlassy	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore

Rockaway Beach (Pacifica, San Mateo County, California, USA) is a popular surf break on the Northern California coast, just south of San Francisco. It’s known for its consistent surf, scenic bluff-lined setting, and relatively easy access from the parking and nearby shops/restaurants.

Surf characteristics

Wave type: Mostly beach break with shifting sandbars
Best conditions: Generally works with NW to W swells
Wind: Offshore is typically from the east; morning conditions are often cleaner
Tide: Can work at different tides depending on sand movement, but mid tide is often a good starting point
Wave quality: Can range from fun and mellow to powerful and hollow, especially during larger winter swells

What to expect

Skill level: Good for intermediate surfers, though conditions can become heavy and challenging on bigger days
Crowds: Usually busy, especially on weekends and when other nearby spots are not working
Hazards: Strong currents, rip currents, occasional rocks, and powerful shorebreak during larger surf

Best season

Fall and winter tend to produce the most consistent and powerful surf
Spring and summer can be smaller and more mellow, though still rideable on good swell days

Local vibe

Rockaway Beach has a laid-back coastal feel with easy access to food, parking, and walking paths, making it a convenient surf destination as well as a scenic beach stop.