San Francisco County · Outer Sunset / Richmond

Ocean Beach

Faces W · Open Coast · 3.5 Miles Long · GGNRA Seasonal Patrol · Extreme Rip Currents

Rip currents are not always visible. They can sometimes be identified by calmer water and less white water than the surrounding surf — which can make them look like a better place to swim. They are not. They are mini rivers where water channels its way back out to sea.

Current Danger Level

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Buoy Reading — View Buoy ↗

⚠ Data may be stale — showing last known reading. Conditions may have changed.

Swell Height*

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feet

Swell Period

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seconds

Direction

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swell from

Water Temp

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°F

NOAA Buoy 46026 — San Francisco Bar

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Long-Period Swell & Set Waves
Read the swell period in the chart above. Waves arrive in sets separated by long, quiet intervals. During the calm between sets, people approach the water's edge and are swept in when the next set arrives.

Known Hazards at Ocean Beach

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Rip Currents

Rip currents are present along the length of this beach. They are not always visible from shore. Fatalities have occurred at this beach.

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Shore Break

Waves break powerfully onto the beach. The force is sufficient to cause injury and immediately pull people into the water.

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Cold Water

Water is cold year round. Hypothermia can set in quickly.

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No Year-Round Lifeguard Posted

GGNRA lifeguards patrol seasonally. There is no year-round posted lifeguard. Emergency response times on remote beaches may take longer than in urban environments.

Before You Go Near the Water

Read the swell period before you approach the water. The number in the chart above is your warning. A period of 15+ seconds means sets are arriving with long, quiet intervals between them — sometimes up to 20 minutes of calm. Do not approach the water's edge during a quiet stretch — that calm is when energy is building offshore.

Watch the ocean. Stay on dry sand. Do not approach wet sand or the water's edge until you have watched the ocean and learned the rhythm of the sets.

Wet rocks or sand mark where the ocean has already been. If the rocks or sand are wet, a wave reached them recently. Stay above the wet line — always.

A long wait between waves is a warning. During long period swells, the ocean may appear completely calm between sets. If it has been calm for several minutes, stay back. Do not walk toward the water.

Keep dogs on leash. Keep dogs on leash and away from the water's edge.

Tell someone your plans. Leave your destination and expected return time with someone before you go.

Rip currents do not always look dangerous. They can appear as calmer, clearer water with less white water than the surf on either side — which can make them look like a better place to swim. They are not. They are mini rivers where water channels its way back out to sea. If you see a break in the surf line with calmer water, stay out.

How to Read Sets

Long-period swell doesn't produce a steady stream of waves. It travels in sets — groups of larger waves separated by long, quiet intervals. At 15+ seconds, those intervals can stretch to 20 minutes of calm. Do not approach the water's edge during a quiet stretch — that calm is when energy is building offshore.

Find a high vantage point above the water line. Do not approach the shore first. Watch from above.

Time the quiet intervals. Count the seconds — or minutes — between large waves. This is your set interval.

Watch for at least 15 minutes. You need to see multiple sets before you understand the rhythm. One quiet stretch means nothing.

The largest wave in a set is not always the first. Sets build in size. The final wave is frequently the biggest.

When in doubt, stay back. At 15+ seconds period, stay completely clear of the shore and any rocks.

Ocean Emergency

911

GGNRA Dispatch · (415) 561-5505

USCG San Francisco · (415) 399-3547