Mavericks
Northern California, USA
Tue, Nov 3 – Fri, Nov 6
- 8 ft · 15sSurf on your dates
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- IAD → SFOFrontier Airlines
- 57°F water3/2 fullsuit
Frontier Airlines · boards OK. Verify with the airline before booking.
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Mavericks surf forecast
Updated
Trip dates
Friday, Oct 23
8ft2/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 7s WNW
- Wind
- 7kt cross-shore
- Water
- 63°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:26am to 6:21pm
- Dawn7:26 to 9am8ft5kt offshore2/10
- Morning9 to 11am8ft4kt cross-shore2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm8ft10kt cross-shore1/10
- Afternoon2 to 4pm8ft8kt cross-shore2/10
- Dusk4 to 6:21pm8ft8kt cross-shore2/10
Saturday, Oct 24
5-6ft2/10
Nothing worth a paddle. 6ft.
- Swell
- 7s NW
- Wind
- 5kt onshore
- Water
- 64°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:27am to 6:20pm
Sunday, Oct 25
4ft1/10
Nothing worth a paddle. 4ft.
- Swell
- 6s NW
- Wind
- 3kt glassy
- Water
- 64°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:28am to 6:19pm
Monday, Oct 26
4-5ft2/10
Nothing worth a paddle. 5ft.
- Swell
- 9s NW
- Wind
- 6kt onshore
- Water
- 65°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:29am to 6:18pm
Tuesday, Oct 27
4ft2/10
Nothing worth a paddle. 5ft.
- Swell
- 15s WNW
- Wind
- 5kt onshore
- Water
- 65°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:30am to 6:17pm
Wednesday, Oct 28
5ft2/10Best at midday
- Swell
- 13s WNW
- Wind
- 6kt cross-shore
- Water
- 65°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:31am to 6:15pm
- Dawn7:31 to 10am5ft4kt cross-shore2/10
- Morning10 to 11am5ft3kt glassy2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm5ft4kt cross-shore2/10
- Afternoon2 to 4pm5ft7kt cross-shore1/10
- Dusk4 to 6:15pm5ft8kt onshore2/10
Thursday, Oct 29
4ft4/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 11s WNW
- Wind
- 5kt cross-shore
- Water
- 65°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:32am to 6:14pm
- Dawn7:32 to 10am4ft3kt glassy4/10
- Morning10 to 11am4ft2kt glassy4/10
- Midday11am to 2pm4ft2kt glassy3/10
- Afternoon2 to 4pm4ft5kt cross-shore3/10
- Dusk4 to 6:14pm4ft8kt cross-shore2/10
Friday, Oct 30
5ft2/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 7s NW
- Wind
- 3kt glassy
- Water
- 66°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:33am to 6:13pm
- Dawn7:33 to 10am5ft1kt glassy2/10
- Morning10 to 11am5ft1kt glassy2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm4-5ft0kt glassy2/10
- Afternoon2 to 4pm5ft5kt onshore1/10
- Dusk4 to 6:13pm5ft5kt onshore1/10
Saturday, Oct 31
6ft3/10Best at midday
- Swell
- 7s NW
- Wind
- 3kt glassy
- Water
- 66°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 7:34am to 6:12pm
- Dawn7:34 to 10am5ft3kt glassy2/10
- Morning10 to 11am6ft4kt offshore2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm6ft3kt glassy3/10
- Afternoon2 to 4pm6ft2kt glassy2/10
- Dusk4 to 6:12pm6ft4kt cross-shore1/10
Sunday, Nov 1
4ft2/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 6s NW
- Wind
- 4kt offshore
- Water
- 66°F
- Suit
- 3/2 fullsuit
- Light
- 6:35am to 5:11pm
- Dawn6:35 to 9am4-5ft5kt offshore2/10
- Morning9 to 11am4ft5kt offshore2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm4ft4kt offshore2/10
- Afternoon2 to 3pm4ft3kt glassy1/10
- Dusk3 to 5:11pm3ft2kt glassy2/10
Monday, Nov 2 Long range
Flat0/10
Flat all day.
- Swell
- 15s SW
- Wind
- 5kt offshore
- Light
- 6:36am to 5:10pm
Tuesday, Nov 3 Long range
8ft3/10Best at midday
- Swell
- 16s W
- Wind
- 3kt glassy
- Light
- 6:37am to 5:09pm
- Dawn6:37 to 9am1-8ft1kt glassy3/10
- Morning9 to 11am1-8ft3kt glassy3/10
- Midday11am to 2pm8ft2kt glassy3/10
- Afternoon2 to 3pm8ft5kt cross-shore2/10
- Dusk3 to 5:09pm8ft6kt cross-shore1/10
Wednesday, Nov 4 Long range
6-7ft3/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 14s W
- Wind
- 4kt cross-shore
- Light
- 6:38am to 5:08pm
- Dawn6:38 to 9am7ft1kt glassy3/10
- Morning9 to 11am6-7ft1kt glassy3/10
- Midday11am to 2pm6ft3kt glassy2/10
- Afternoon2 to 3pm6ft6kt onshore1/10
- Dusk3 to 5:08pm6ft7kt onshore1/10
Thursday, Nov 5 Long range
7-8ft2/10Best in the morning
- Swell
- 15s W
- Wind
- 2kt glassy
- Light
- 6:39am to 5:07pm
- Dawn6:39 to 9am7ft1kt glassy2/10
- Morning9 to 11am7ft0kt glassy2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm7-8ft1kt glassy1/10
- Afternoon2 to 3pm8ft4kt onshore1/10
- Dusk3 to 5:07pm8-9ft5kt onshore1/10
Friday, Nov 6 Long range
8-9ft3/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 13s W
- Wind
- 5kt cross-shore
- Light
- 6:40am to 5:06pm
- Dawn6:40 to 9am9ft2kt glassy3/10
- Morning9 to 11am9ft2kt glassy2/10
- Midday11am to 2pm8-9ft4kt cross-shore2/10
- Afternoon2 to 3pm8ft7kt cross-shore1/10
- Dusk3 to 5:06pm8ft7kt cross-shore1/10
Saturday, Nov 7 Long range
9ft3/10Best at dawn
- Swell
- 14s W
- Wind
- 5kt cross-shore
- Light
- 6:41am to 5:05pm
- Dawn6:41 to 9am9ft5kt offshore3/10
- Morning9 to 11am9ft5kt offshore3/10
- Midday11am to 2pm8-9ft4kt offshore3/10
- Afternoon2 to 3pm8ft4kt cross-shore2/10
- Dusk3 to 5:05pm8ft6kt cross-shore1/10
Live cams
- Surfline Premium
Mavericks surf guide
The wave. Mavericks breaks just outside the Pillar Point Harbor breakwater, north of Half Moon Bay. An underwater rock ramp slows the swell and bends it into a U shape, so it is mainly a heavy right, with a faster left that is rarely ridden. Jeff Clark, then 17, surfed it alone in 1975, and big storm swells can push faces past 60 feet.
Who it suits. Mavericks is for expert big-wave surfers with water safety support only. Everyone else should pick a smaller break nearby.
Read the full guide, with its sources (checked Oct 2026).
Getting there
Straight there, 42 min from SFO
- SFO
- 36.7 km, about 42 min
- the wave
Park at Pillar Point Harbor. The peak is a long paddle or a ski tow.
Free-flow driving time, not traffic.
123Arrival1 kmWhere to stay
1
2
3
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6
Price per night$45 – $315+
No places in this price range.
Expert-only big-wave reef; watch from the Pillar Point bluff.
Checked Oct 2026
Season
PeakShoulderOff
Best months: Dec–Jan · typically 9–11 ft faces
Month by month
Best Dec–Jan. Good Nov–Feb. Worth avoiding Mar–Oct.
| Month | Relative quality | Typical face | Surfable days | Water | Wear | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 ft | 80% | 12 C / 54 F | 4/3 + boots | Best | |
| Feb | 9 ft | 76% | 12 C / 54 F | 4/3 + boots | Good | |
| Mar | 10 ft | 66% | 12 C / 53 F | hooded 5/4 | Worth avoiding | |
| Apr | 7 ft | 43% | 12 C / 54 F | 4/3 + boots | Worth avoiding | |
| May | 7 ft | 24% | 12 C / 53 F | hooded 5/4 | Worth avoiding | |
| Jun | 6 ft | 13% | 13 C / 55 F | 4/3 + boots | Worth avoiding | |
| Jul | 5 ft | 9% | 14 C / 57 F | 4/3 + boots | Worth avoiding | |
| Aug | 4 ft | 7% | 14 C / 58 F | 4/3 + boots | Worth avoiding | |
| Sep | 5 ft | 37% | 16 C / 60 F | 4/3 | Worth avoiding | |
| Oct | 7 ft | 57% | 15 C / 60 F | 4/3 | Worth avoiding | |
| Nov | 9 ft | 77% | 14 C / 57 F | 4/3 + boots | Good | |
| Dec | 9 ft | 86% | 14 C / 57 F | 4/3 + boots | Best |
Medians from years of hindcast, not a forecast (how we read the hindcast). Water temperatures come from an offshore model grid, which reads a little warm on an upwelling coast. More on the break in the USA guide.