Bolinas Jetty:
A funky, eccentric, artsy enclave at the mouth of Bolinas (Bow-LEEN-us) Lagoon. Following Marin’s tradition, it’s not a real hot surf area, but decent if the winds are howling out of the northwest and you don’t feel like dealing with heavier waves found farther north. The Sea Drift Road (east) side of the lagoon mouth sees some fun rights when the bars are correctly formed, while the Wharf/Brighton Road (west) side of the lagoon mouth produces surfable lefts. There is very limited parking here, and the road is narrow. The gate to the beach may be closed, but can be opened by calling 415-868-1224 during the day. The waves in Bolinas generally have to be small to be ridable, and usually best on mid-high tide. You may have a little difficulty finding the place because of the paranoid xenophobia prevalent in Bolinas: for 20 years, residents removed every turnoff sign Caltrans posted before the department gave up and let the people believe their town was exclusive to them only.
Stinson Beach:
Stinson Beach is a super-popular San Francisco-Marin weekend getaway zone overflowing with gated homes, puffy poodles and Rolls-Royces. Lifeguards are on duty here from May to mid-September. Definitely not a core surf scene, but some fun peaks can be had along this crescent of white sand. During the summer, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to Huntington: there are lifeguards, snack booths, bathrooms, huge parking lots, showers, etc. Appealing to tourists, but generally avoided by real surfers. Our advice is to skip these spots altogether and head out to Point Reyes for a dose of what the real NorCal can dish up.