Surf spot

Drakes Bay

Forecast conditions and map view for Drakes Bay in USA, California, SF Marin. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, SF Marin
Coordinates: 38.0308, -122.9343

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)	0.8	1.2	1.1	1.3	1.2	1.2	0.8	1.1	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.5	1.4	1.2	0.8	0.8	1.1	1.5	1.5	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6
Wave direction	WSW	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	WNW	NW	WNW	NW	NW	SW	SW	WNW	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	W	SW	W	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	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
Wave period (s)	11	5.9	6	5.3	5.1	5.5	6.7	5.7	6.3	6.3	6.3	5.8	5.4	11.6	11.3	6.3	9.3	6.2	6.3	6.5	9.2	9.3	7.5	6.3	6.1	5.7	5.6	5.8	7	7.7	7.3	6.8	6	5.8	5.5	5.3	5.4	5.5	5.3	5.3	6.3	6.5	6.5	6.6	6.8	6.8	6.8	6.5	8.4	8.3	8.2	8.2	8.1	8.3	8.5	8.4
Wave energy (kJ)	140	100	86	88	77	83	57	83	50	53	41	41	35	116	99	25	39	22	27	24	39	37	15	98	97	95	141	133	139	80	72	112	159	162	152	129	118	107	100	101	136	132	130	121	123	110	88	73	106	93	82	69	64	61	56	48
Wind speed (km/h)	21.3	14.6	9	10.1	15.9	19.2	20.3	21.8	23.8	21.8	22	24.1	31.4	32.2	31.6	26.5	26.5	18.3	11.4	14.4	29.4	29.1	25.2	16.6	7.2	4.7	2.8	9.7	18.6	25.2	26.4	21.4	13	3.3	3.9	7.1	10.5	8.3	8.1	8	5.8	5	10	14.5	12.7	8.3	8	9.7	9.1	9.7	8	9	13.4	13.2	12.7	11.5
Wind direction	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWCross-off	NNWCross-off	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NGlassy	NWGlassy	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NNWGlassy	ENEGlassy	SSWCross	SWCross-off	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WSWCross-off	SSWCross	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross	WSWCross-off	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore

Drakes Bay, Marin County, California (near Point Reyes) is a beautiful, rugged North Bay surf zone just north of San Francisco. It’s not a super-consistent “daily driver” break, but when the conditions line up, it can offer fun, scenic surf in a wild, open-coast setting.

Quick description

Type of spot: Exposed beach/point setup with shifting sandbars
Wave quality: Can range from playful and mellow to powerful and heavy, depending on swell and tide
Best swell: NW to WNW swell
Best wind: Light offshore or calm; strong onshore wind can make it messy fast
Best tide: Often best around mid tide, though it depends on the sandbars

What it’s like

Drakes Bay sits in a very exposed part of the Marin coast, so it gets plenty of Pacific swell but also plenty of wind and weather. The coastline is scenic and remote-feeling, with a raw Northern California vibe. Because the sandbars and currents change often, the waves can be inconsistent and the lineup can vary a lot from day to day.

Conditions and challenges

Currents: Can be strong
Water: Cold year-round, so a wetsuit is essential
Crowd: Usually lighter than more famous Bay Area surf spots
Hazards: Rocks, rip currents, shifting sandbars, and occasional heavy shorebreak

Best suited for

Surfers comfortable in colder, less forgiving conditions
People who like exploring less crowded North Coast surf
Intermediate to advanced surfers when the swell is bigger and cleaner

Overall vibe

Drakes Bay is more about scenery, raw coastal energy, and opportunistic waves than ultra-reliable performance surfing. On the right day, it can be a rewarding spot with beautiful surroundings and decent waves.