Stinson Beach

Stinson Beach is a beach break in Stinson Beach, CA, covered by a free live cam from WebCOOS.

About the Break

Stinson is a long, open sandy beach break north of the Golden Gate that can produce fun, workable waves on a solid west or northwest swell, drawing a mix of local surfers given its distance from the busier San Francisco breaks. As a sand-bottom beach break, it’s generally well suited to longboarders, intermediate surfers, and anyone working on their pop-up — more forgiving than reef or point breaks, without a sharp takeoff zone or fixed hazard.

Surf Etiquette at Beach Breaks

Beach breaks tend to be more forgiving on etiquette than reef or point breaks: because the sandbars shift and there’s rarely one single best takeoff spot, the lineup is usually more spread out and less territorial. Still, the basics apply everywhere — the surfer closest to the peak has right of way, don’t drop in on someone already riding a wave, and take a moment to watch the lineup before paddling out if you’re new to it. Every break has its regulars, and a little patience goes a long way.

About the Cam Host

The cam is provided by WebCOOS, the Web Camera Observation Network, a real coastal-monitoring research consortium partnering with universities (e.g. UNC Wilmington), regional coastal ocean observing systems (NERACOOS, MARACOOS), state agencies, and even Surfline, to install shoreline-monitoring webcams. Watch Live Cam →

Location & Access

Stinson Beach sits on the Pacific coast in Stinson Beach, Marin County, California. See the California surf guide for the full regional picture →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Stinson Beach surf cam free to watch? Yes — every cam in the directory is free and public, no login required.

Where exactly is the camera? At WebCOOS in Stinson Beach, CA — see the map above.

Are there other free surf cams nearby? Yes — see Nearby Live Cams below.