Half Moon Bay — Mavericks Surf Report
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Good conditions. overhead waves (6.7ft), glassy conditions, incoming tide. Solid surf for intermediate and above.
Current Conditions
Today's Surf Timeline
Hourly surf score from 5am to 9pm. Taller bar = better conditions. Best window highlighted in teal.
Today's Tides
Tide data from NOAA station — Half Moon Bay, California. Times shown in Pacific Time.
Half Moon Bay — Mavericks Surf Guide
Mavericks is one of the most consequential surf breaks on the planet — a deep-water reef break located off Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay that produces some of the largest rideable waves in the Northern Hemisphere. On significant NW groundswells, Mavericks produces faces of 40–60 feet — waves of such power and consequence that surfing here is considered an act of extreme athleticism and nerve. Jeff Clark surfed Mavericks alone for over a decade before the outside world discovered it in 1990. The wave is not for regular surfers. It is for the elite tier of big-wave surfers with the experience, physical conditioning, safety training, and dedicated safety team that surfing waves of this size demands. The surrounding beach breaks at Surfer's Beach and Dunes Beach are accessible to intermediate surfers and offer consistent, if challenging, NW swell exposure.
Best Months to Surf Half Moon Bay — Mavericks
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about surfing at Half Moon Bay — Mavericks.
No. Mavericks is an expert-only big wave break that requires specific big-wave training, safety equipment, a dedicated safety team, and years of heavy-water experience. Surfing here without these prerequisites is life-threatening.
Yes. Professional surfer Mark Foo died at Mavericks in December 1994 during a surf session. The wave's power and the notorious washing-machine hold-down beneath the reef make it one of the world's most dangerous breaks.
Mavericks fires on significant NW groundswells from November through February. The wave needs a minimum swell of 15ft face height to show its true character. The biggest and most dangerous sessions occur during major NW storm swells in January and February.