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North Potato Patch, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Mill Valley

All 11 on Mill Valley's map

Watch this spot We email you when North Potato Patch is worth the trip.

Mill Valley City Hall (2016)
Mill Valley, the nearest town, 10 km away. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About North Potato Patch

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

The spot faces SW (234°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (54°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. 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 January, February, November and December, with about 3 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Mill Valley, 9.6 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 7 h 05 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. 50 min from the airport to North Potato Patch.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Mill ValleyAd

    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 Mill Valley · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Mill Valley · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

North Potato Patch on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct113 ft11 s154kJ17°C
Mon 19Oct124 ft9 s231kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct415 ft10 s573kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct224 ft8 s158kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct92 ft11 s96kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct245 ft5 s123kJ17°C
Sat 24Oct215 ft7 s182kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct114 ft6 s120kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct203 ft8 s139kJ13°C
Tue 27Oct122 ft8 s67kJ14°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. 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 50 min by road. About 7h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf North Potato Patch

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 50 min by road. About 7h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Mill Valley each day: North Potato Patch, RCA.

The trip from Mill Valley, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £955–£1,740 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£50–£80
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£955–£1,740

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

Places to eat near Mill Valley

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.