Dawn patrol surfing in Pacifica

Pacifica, California

Recommendations refresh every 30 minutes based on tide, wind, and crowd telemetry from Quiver.

First light in Pacifica means glass, empty peaks, and the best conditions of the day before thermal onshores build. These 3 spots are worth the 5am alarm.

Linda Mar in Pacifica with small surf rolling toward the beach.
Next steps

Keep planning Pacifica

Use this dawn patrol guide as the filter, then jump to live spots, tides, or the seasonal window.

Check live Pacifica spotsSee the local breaks and current surf conditions.Open pageFind the best surf windowCompare today's call with the seasonal pattern.Open pageWatch the tide windowUse tide timing before you commit to a spot.Open page

Pacifica surf report today

BeachHeightWindVerdict
Sharp Park Beach8 ft6 mph90/100
Rockaway Beach (Pacifica)6.4 ft5 mph67/100

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Featured Beaches(2)

Rockaway Beach (Pacifica)

Intermediate

Smaller cove just south of Linda Mar, Rockaway Beach offers punchy peaks and occasional barrels when sandbars align. The northern corner has a rock reef that produces a wedgy right. Currents can be strong and it closes out on big swells.

Sharp Park Beach

Intermediate

Sharp Park Beach is the public Pacifica shoreline between the municipal pier and Mori Point. The pier and beach form one coastal area, distinct from Linda Mar and Rockaway Beach.

Today's dawn patrol plan in Pacifica

Best window

2:30 PM–3:30 PM

incoming tide, light winds, good swell angle

Top picks

1Sharp Park Beach
8 ft6 mph
2Rockaway Beach (Pacifica)
6.4 ft5 mph
Glassy morning conditions before onshore windsLess crowded lineups at sunriseEast-facing beaches for sunrise viewsSpots with easy parking for early arrivals

Dawn patrol access guide for Pacifica

Parking and access info for early morning sessions before sunrise.

Rockaway Beach (Pacifica)
beach
intermediate

Smaller cove just south of Linda Mar, Rockaway Beach offers punchy peaks and occasional barrels when sandbars align. The northern corner has a rock reef that produces a wedgy right. Currents can be strong and it closes out on big swells.

Early access

Walk across the beach and pick a sandbar; avoid surfing too close to the rocks on big days.

Parking

Small parking lot near the beach and additional street parking; restaurants line the cove but spaces fill quickly.

Sharp Park Beach
beach

Sharp Park Beach is the public Pacifica shoreline between the municipal pier and Mori Point. The pier and beach form one coastal area, distinct from Linda Mar and Rockaway Beach.

Early access

Use Beach Boulevard access and the coastal promenade. Follow posted pier and beach notices; no lifeguard is on duty.

Log in 15 seconds(optional)
Wave Quality7/10
Crowd4/10
Overall8/10

Logging once helps tune Pacifica picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

About surfing in Pacifica

Dawn patrol in Pacifica typically starts at first light, around 30 minutes before sunrise. This gives you the glassiest conditions before onshore winds develop.
Early morning offers glassy conditions, fewer crowds, and calmer winds. Water temperature is also warmer relative to air temperature at sunrise.

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