Surf: General: The first surf spot in North Central California, and one of the most unusual places to go surfing on the planet, Fort Point is a left that breaks directly under the Golden Gate Bridge. On the best days, the wave starts around the point directly under the bridge and wraps nearly 90 degrees into the cove on the inside. Fort Point is an experience: safe and dangerous, exposed and protected, easy and hard. All of these things at the same time. Fort Point is safe because when the big, bad ocean outside the bay is closed-out, blown-out or otherwise unsurfable, Fort Point can be four to six-feet, hot and glassy. During the winter, Fort Point is usually offshore and rarely blows out, even in the strongest NW winds.

Fort Point is dangerous for a few reasons. When the ocean is pouring in and the tide is pouring out, there's a lot of water going every which way under the bridge. Outgoing tides rip through here like a river. On the strongest tides in the winter, the current flows out as fast as seven knots, too strong to paddle against. Another danger is that the break is lined with rocks, and there is a big rock in the middle of the break, marking the inside lineup. A wipeout on a big day here could be harmful. A lot of Fort Point locals wear helmets and those nasty rocks are why. Even with a helmet, the spot has proven to be fatal. It's also not unheard of to see a "jumper" from the bridge. Finally, it can be tricky getting in and out through the rocks that line the break.

Fort Point can be a pretty good wave. With the right angle on the swell and the right tide and the right wind, it's a decent left point: sometimes hollow, sometimes fun, sometimes blown and ragged and gnarly and challenging. This wave is the definition of fickle: tide sensitive, wind sensitive. Not the shallowest wave in California or the longest-walled or the fastest, but definitely in the top five for most unusual. Tides: Low and incoming Size: Chest high-overhead Wind: E, light NW Swell: Mid-period W, NW Bottom: Death boulders, abandoned Chevrolets, jumpers. Paddling: Strong, during an outgoing tide. Spot Rating: Fun. Access: Look for the bridge, follow the signs to Fort Point and park virtually on top of the break. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Stifling. Local Vibe: This is the site of the most publicized and litigated case of surfer-on-surfer violence in the Bay Area, after a fist fight in the lineup ended in bloodshed and an arrest. The vibe isn't quite as combative as it was 20 years ago, but bring a thick skin for disgruntled old timers who think this is still a secret spot. As long as you don't rush the peak and kill them with kindness, you'll enjoy a stunning view at the very least. Environment: Fair. This is San Francisco Bay emptying, after all. Hazards: Flying bodies, grouchy locals, foot-slicing boulders, errant container ships and getting sucked out to Potato Patch with the outgoing tide. Season: November-February