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Gray Whale Cove, United States

Stay in Pacifica: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Pacifica

All 12 on Pacifica's map

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Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Gray Whale Cove. Photo: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Gray Whale Cove

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (263°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (83°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in May, June and July, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pacifica, 3.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), direct.

    See flights MDW → SFO · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 35 min from the airport to Gray Whale Cove.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PacificaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Pacifica · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Pacifica · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Gray Whale Cove on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct225 ft6 smushy113kJ16°C
Mon 19Oct326 ft8 shollow380kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct617 ft11 shollow926kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct335 ft8 shollow276kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct83 ft10 shollow118kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct276 ft6 smushy230kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct286 ft7 smushy338kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct244 ft6 shollow146kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct425 ft7 shollow257kJ20°C
Tue 27Oct224 ft7 shollow150kJ20°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 35 min by road. About 6h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Gray Whale Cove

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 7 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Sharp Park

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 6 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Sharp Park

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 35 min by road. About 6h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Pacifica each day: Gray Whale Cove, Linda Mar, Pedro Point, Rockaway Beach, Sharp Park.

The trip from Pacifica, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £930–£1,700 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SFO, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£470
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£25–£40
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£930–£1,700

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Pacifica

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.