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Drakes Bay, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Dillon Beach

Watch this spot We email you when Drakes Bay is worth the trip.

Long-billed curlew at Drakes Beach, Point Reyes
Drakes Bay. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Drakes Bay

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

The spot faces S (167°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (347°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.0 km out (1 in 200). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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). The town to stay in is Dillon Beach.

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 50 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. 1 h 30 from the airport to Drakes Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Dillon Beach, 25 km (about 45 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Drakes Bay: plan on the drive each day you surf.

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

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

    See all places to stay in Dillon Beach, 25 km away 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 Dillon Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Dillon Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Drakes Bay on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 19Oct285 ft9 ssoft385kJ16°C
Tue 20Oct396 ft10 ssoft663kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct214 ft8 ssoft238kJ18°C
Thu 22Oct132 ft9 ssoft75kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct386 ft7 smushy261kJ17°C
Sat 24Oct205 ft6 smushy171kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct244 ft8 ssoft212kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct153 ft8 smushy84kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct41 ft9 smushy31kJ21°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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Tue 20 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 1h 30 by road. About 7h 50 door to door

  2. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  3. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Drakes Bay

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 28 of 80.

  6. Sun 25 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Mon 26 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 1h 30 by road. About 7h 50 door to door

The trip from Dillon Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,020–£1,850 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
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
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£1,020–£1,850

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

Places to eat near Dillon Beach

  • Coastal KitchenAmerican · 0.1 km from the centre

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

Nearest beds: Dillon Beach, 25 km (about 45 min by car) · 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.