BaySights

By Astrid · 6 places

When the Swell Arrives: Big Water on the Winter Coast

Storm surf, full waterfalls, and a wild coastline

Winter is when the Pacific throws its weight around, the swells stacking up out of the north, the waterfalls running full, the beaches loud and cold and empty. I dress for it and go out anyway, because the coast has a power in January it never shows in summer. Watch the water, keep your distance, and let the sea perform.

  1. A surfer in a yellow jersey rides along the face of a towering, curling wave as white spray explodes behind him. The wide shot captures the dark green water and massive breaking swell in a dramatic close-up at Mavericks.
    1

    Half Moon Bay

    Mavericks Beach

    When the big north swell lands, the wave off Pillar Point becomes a mountain and the world's best surfers come for it. Shoot it from the bluff with a long lens; the water is no place to be. Winter is the season.

  2. Golden-hour light turns the harbor calm and glassy, with anchored fishing boats silhouetted across the center and soft reflections stretching over the water. A low breakwater curves in from the right toward the glowing horizon, while the dark bluff and pier frame the bay in the distance.
    2

    Half Moon Bay

    Pillar Point Harbor

    The safe vantage on the Mavericks break, and a working harbor besides. The outer trail gets you closer to the action. Grey storm light suits the mood of the day.

  3. Rocky tan cliffs covered with patches of green and red coastal scrub stretch along the Sonoma shoreline, meeting deep blue Pacific water below. White surf breaks around dark offshore rocks under a clear, pale blue sky.
    3

    Sonoma

    Bodega Head

    The headland takes the full force of a winter storm, spray exploding off the rocks below. Stay well back from the wet edge. The drama is best an hour before the front arrives.

  4. A wide waterfall pours in a silky white curtain off a rugged coastal cliff onto the beach below, with dark rock, tan bluffs, and a gray overcast sky framing the scene. A lone person in a blue jacket stands near the water’s edge, giving scale to the dramatic tidefall.
    4

    Bolinas

    Alamere Falls

    The tidefall runs hardest after the winter rains, pouring off the cliff onto the sand. Time the tide so the beach is passable. Cold, long, and worth it when the water is up.

  5. Black-and-white scene of Marines climbing through dense, tall grass on a steep hillside, one soldier reaching down to help another. Helmets, packs, and a rifle stand out against the tangled vegetation and rough ground.
    5

    Stinson Beach

    Steep Ravine Cabins and Beach

    A rugged cove where a creek meets the sea and the surf pounds the rock in winter. The rustic cabins book out far ahead. Storm light off the water is extraordinary here.

  6. Eroded sandstone cliffs frame a secluded cove, with the fin-shaped sea stack rising on the right and a dark sea cave cut into the bluff on the left. Pale turquoise water swirls below under a hazy, soft-lit sky.
    6

    Santa Cruz

    Shark Fin Cove

    The sea stack takes a beating in the winter swell, waves wrapping around the fin. Shoot from the bluff when the descent is unsafe. Overcast storm days give it the right weight.

← All lists

Next shortlist

Above the Fog: 7 Overlooks for the Marine Layer