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California · San Francisco · San Francisco, California
Ocean Beach
also known as OB San Francisco, Ocean Beach San Francisco, Kelly's Cove
Nearby Crissy Field 5 km · Alameda Crown Beach 21 km · Coyote Point 27 km · 3rd Avenue 30 km · Sherman Island 77 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Afternoon on the sea-breeze days; the exact hour is unconfirmed.
The wind
locals call it San Francisco Pacific sea breeze / storm wind
Direction
Character
mixed
fills in: Afternoon on the sea-breeze days; the exact hour is unconfirmed.
Typical strength
No published rideable range for the beach. The working threshold is the point where the fine silty sand starts to blow, about 18 mph, roughly 15-16 knots. The old on-site station averaged 9 knots from the west across 2012-2018, which is a station average taken beside a 60 m hill rather than a session figure: it reads high in northwesterlies and low in southerlies.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and storm
Also on record
The former Ocean Beach / Kelly's Cove station recorded a W average of 9 kts with 10 kt gusts across observations from 2012-06-01 to 2018-10-31. That is a station average, not a rideable-session average.
Direction to shore
mostly onshore from W/WNW on the west-facing beach; S/SSE storm wind is more sideshore.
Dominant direction
WNW in the main summer season; S to SSE can occur with winter storm conditions. Recommended directions also include SW, WSW, W, WNW and NW.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan57
- Feb56
- Mar, riders' month87
- Apr, riders' month92
- May, riders' month98
- Jun, riders' month100
- Jul, riders' month100
- Aug, riders' month100
- Sep, riders' month92
- Oct77
- Nov46
- Dec33
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 14Jan13°
- 14Feb13°
- 16Mar12°
- 17Apr12°
- 17May12°
- 18Jun14°
- 16Jul14°
- 16Aug15°
- 14Sep16°
- 13Oct16°
- 12Nov13°
- 11Dec12°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57% | 13.7 kt | NE | 10.9°C | 12.7°C |
| Feb | 56% | 14 kt | WNW | 10.5°C | 12.5°C |
| Mar | 87% | 16.1 kt | W | 10.9°C | 12.2°C |
| Apr | 92% | 16.9 kt | WNW | 11.5°C | 12.1°C |
| May | 98% | 16.9 kt | WNW | 12.8°C | 12.4°C |
| Jun | 100% | 17.8 kt | W | 14.1°C | 13.5°C |
| Jul | 100% | 16.1 kt | WSW | 14.9°C | 14.1°C |
| Aug | 100% | 15.9 kt | W | 15.9°C | 14.7°C |
| Sep | 92% | 14.3 kt | W | 16.1°C | 15.6°C |
| Oct | 77% | 13 kt | W | 15.7°C | 15.5°C |
| Nov | 46% | 11.7 kt | NE | 12.3°C | 13.2°C |
| Dec | 33% | 11.3 kt | NE | 10.9°C | 12.3°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
ocean
Standing depth
There is no standing shallows to speak of. The bottom is clean sand, but it shelves and moves: sandbars sit close in and catch boards and fins, and the surge can shift the waterline 20-30 yards and take your feet from under you. Past the shorebreak, treat it as deep water.
Tides
Tide changes the surf here fast: higher water is generally lighter and more playful, and it can turn thick and heavy within minutes as the tide drops. Treat the spot as tide-sensitive, not tide independent.
Temperature
15°C summer · 10°C winter
Wetsuit
Full wetsuit year-round. Water sits at roughly 10-16 C through the year, and it is cold in every one of those months.
Currents
Strong rip currents and side-shore current. The side-shore set often runs north on the flood and south on the ebb, but swell, sandbars and the day itself change that, and it can move at several miles per hour. The rip channels between Balboa and Fulton shift and are not visible from the sand; watch where the surfers refuse to sit.Current runs stronger in winter than summer and generally south to north in that season. It also changes your apparent wind: a kite dropped in the water can come back at you with the lines slack.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Large, though the beach narrows south of Lincoln and earlier in the season, and non-kiters use it too.
Somewhere else
Crissy Field, 5 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
No single kite launch. Three miles of beach, most kiters at the northern end in the main season, parking at the north and south ends and Lower Great Highway access in between. Self-launch or wait for a hand.Kelly's Cove, the north end under Sutro Heights, is the tamest part of the beach and where people gather; a block south at the Beach Chalet the wave is noticeably bigger.The hill funnels the wind, so between the Cliff House and Balboa it can blow around 20 percent harder than at the Beach Chalet, while Seal Rocks throws a shadow just north of that. The beach averages about 100 yards deep before it narrows south of Lawton.
Space
Large, though the beach narrows south of Lincoln and earlier in the season, and non-kiters use it too.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Do not make Ocean Beach your first ocean session. It is not a place to learn ocean riding.
- Ride when other competent kiters are around. Nobody should kite this beach alone.
- Check surf size, period, tide and where the fog and wind line sit, not just the wind speed.
- Stay clear of Seal Rocks and the Sutro Baths, especially with north in the wind or a south swell pushing you left.
- Keep kites and gear out of the dunes and the snowy-plover protection area.
- Give wave riders priority and leave more room than you would at the flatwater Bay spots.
- Leave the leash at home. Local practice is to ride without one here.
- Be able to swim in surf and to hold your breath for half a minute while a wave rolls you along the bottom.
- Watch where the surfers are not sitting; that is usually where the rip runs.
- The park emergency number is 415-561-5656; a VHF or a bagged phone earns its place in the pack.
- Kelly's Cove blows harder than the Beach Chalet by a fifth on the same day. Rig for where you launch.
Getting there
Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Route
North Ocean Beach is about a 20-minute drive from downtown San Francisco. Parking sits at either end, and public transport terminates near the beach at Judah and Fulton. The beach is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Transfer
30 min
Cost level
high
Staying
Stay in the Outer Sunset, the Richmond or another west-side neighbourhood for the shortest run to the sand. No kite-specific lodging is listed.
No-wind days
Watching the surf, Golden Gate Park, Sutro Baths and Lands End, the city cafes and museums, cycling or walking the Great Highway.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Ocean Beach?
The main season runs April through September, when WNW sea-breeze wind is usually straight onshore; conditions can be foggy, cold and windy.
Is Ocean Beach suitable for beginners?
No. It requires high competency to advanced skill, self-sufficient riders able to read rips and current, and the spot has a documented history of deaths.
What is the wind like?
Wind is a mix of thermal sea breeze and winter storm systems, typically WNW onshore in summer with S to SSE possible during storms.
What are the main hazards?
Heavy surf, rip currents, strong side-shore current, shifting sandbars and a wind shadow near Seal Rocks, alongside cold water and beach users.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
As of 2025, dogs must be leashed within the Snowy Plover Protection Area from Stairwell 21 to Sloat Boulevard, July 1 through May 15; there is no formal kite launch zone.
Last updated: August 2026