Swell Intel

Ocean Beach Surf Forecast

Northern California

Ocean Beach surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor - Fair
Wave Height
5-6ft
head high
Swell Period
9.2s
Wind
10mph
NW / Gusts 14mph
Conditions
Poor - Fair
Active Swells
Primary
4.7ft @ 9sWNW
Secondary
1.1ft @ 16sSW
Tertiary
0.5ft @ 11sSSW

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Nearest Webcam

Spot Guide

Break
Beach
Bottom
Sand
Level
Advanced
Crowd
Heavy
Best Swell
W
Best Wind
E
Season
Winter

Ocean Beach is one of the heaviest beach breaks in North America, stretching 3.5 miles along San Francisco's western edge where powerful Pacific groundswells unload onto constantly shifting sandbars. Winter swells regularly produce double-overhead-plus surf with a notorious "zone of death" paddle-out through relentless whitewater and strong currents generated by the Golden Gate tidal exchange. Even experienced surfers treat OB with serious respect — this is not a learner's wave.

Strong currentsHeavy shorebreakCold waterShifting sandbarsSharksRip currentsLarge surf

Forecast Charts

Daily Forecast

Thu, Mar 26Fair - Good

Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 5-6ft with glassy conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.

6am9am12pm3pm
9s W|Calm
Fri, Mar 27Fair - Good

Consistent 4-5ft surf through the day on W swell at 11s with barely a breath of wind.

6am9am12pm3pm
11s W|Calm
Sat, Mar 28Fair - Good

Rideable all day with 4-5ft waves on WNW swell at 10s and calm winds.

6am9am12pm3pm
11s W|Calm
Sun, Mar 29Fair - Good

Rideable all day with 4-5ft waves on WNW swell at 10s and glassy conditions.

6am9am12pm3pm
10s W|Calm
Mon, Mar 30Fair - Good

Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on SW swell at 13s and barely a breath of wind. It gets a bit messier later in the day.

6am9am12pm3pm
13s SW|Calm

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Ocean Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Ocean Beach?
The current wave height at Ocean Beach is 5-6ft with a 9.2s swell period. Wind is NW at 10mph. Conditions are rated Poor - Fair.
How accurate is the Ocean Beach surf forecast?
Our Ocean Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends.