Bolinas is a small town on the north side of the Bolinas Lagoon, about an hour from San Francisco if the road behaves. It has one of the most forgiving beginner waves in Northern California and a famously ambiguous relationship with signposting.
Spring (March – May)
Windy, and the most inconsistent season. Mornings can be excellent and the afternoon onshore arrives early. Water is at its coldest in March, around 10°C. Fewer people, which counts for something.
Summer (June – August)
Small, gentle swell and the best learning conditions of the year. Also fog — thick, persistent, and often burning off only by early afternoon, if at all.
Visitors are frequently disappointed by the fog and they should not be. It keeps the wind down, keeps the crowds thinner than a sunny forecast would, and produces glassy mornings. The best beginner sessions we run all year happen under grey skies in July.
Autumn (September – November)
The best all-round season, and no local will tell you otherwise. The fog lifts, the wind drops, the water reaches its warmest (around 14°C) and the first proper northwest swells arrive. If you can choose when to visit, choose October.
Winter (December – February)
Bigger swell, more power, fewer suitable days for beginners but excellent for intermediates. Cold — hood weather. Crystalline air between storms and some of the most beautiful days of the year on this coast.
- Warmest water: September and October.
- Cleanest, most consistent conditions: October.
- Best for absolute beginners: June through August.
- Best for intermediates who want size: December through February.
Getting here
The turning to Bolinas is famously unsigned — the sign gets removed roughly as fast as it is replaced. Use a map, watch for the turn off Highway 1 at the south end of the lagoon, and give yourself an extra fifteen minutes the first time.
