Half Moon Bay Fishing Charters & Whale Watching

Deep sea fishing, whale watching and ashes scattering aboard the F/V Riptide since 1998.

Three anglers holding king salmon aboard the F/V Riptide

Deep Sea Fishing

Rockfish, lingcod, salmon and tuna trips out of Pillar Point Harbor.

From $170 per person

A humpback whale breaching off Half Moon Bay

Whale Watching

Look for gray and humpback whales on a 3-hour tour along the coast.

From $65 per person

A buoy on the ocean at sunset

Ashes Scattering

A private, respectful farewell at sea for your loved one.

From $200

Riptide Charters BBB Business Review

Riptide Charters - Deep Sea Fishing, Whale Watching, and Ashes Scattering - Half Moon Bay, CA

Riptide Charters offers Deep Sea fishing, Whale Watching and Scattering Ashes. Riptide Charters takes both individuals and groups for adventures in sport fishing in Half Moon Bay.  Riptide Charters serves Half Moon Bay and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. We are conveniently located at Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, CA – the gateway to the beautiful Northern California coast, just 25 miles south of San Francisco.

The warm sun, the salty sea, and the fish ready to bite—there's nothing quite like a fishing adventure on the California coast.

You can experience the awesome, big, and exciting fun of whales and the ocean's natural splendor aboard the Riptide! See our schedule and book now.

We offer:

  • Deep Sea Fishing: Immerse in the thrill of deep sea fishing with Riptide Charters in Half Moon Bay, CA. Experience the open waters like never before, guided by seasoned professionals committed to delivering an unforgettable adventure.
  • Whale Watching: Look for humpback whales and the migrating gray whales on a 3-hour tour.
  • Ashes Scattering: Our service reserves the boat exclusively for your group for the 1-hour service. Our special service helps you to respectfully memorialize your loved ones with the scattering of ashes upon the ocean.

We also offer:

  • Shallow Water Fishing: Opens May through September and in November!
  • Bluefin & Albacore Tuna: Offered when the tuna show up. Email us to be put on the Tuna fishing list.
  • Salmon: Open on limited dates set by the state each year – see Rates for this season's rules.
  • Deep Water Fishing: November and December only!

Call or send us an email so we can customize a trip to your specific needs. Food and beverages available on request.

Whale Breaching

Our Vessel and Captain
The "Riptide" is owned and operated by Captain William Smith, a licensed captain for 40+ years who has been involved in Half Moon Bay fishing for decades. The F/V Riptide is a 40' fiberglass hull, equipped with turbo diesel, state-of-the art electronics, and is licensed and inspected by the United States Coast Guard. Riptide is located on "H" dock at Pillar Pt. Harbor in El Granada (near Half Moon Bay), California.

Captain Smitty
Kayak Logo
Riptide Charters logo

Foggy whales

Oct 6, 2026

Today was super foggy but we found 3 humpback whales 

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Riptide Charters logo

Wide open fishing

Sep 30, 2026

What a fun day on the water catching 60 rock fish for 5 passengers and 58 Bonito that we kept!! Amazing

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Fish report photo: Wide open fishing!

Wide open fishing!

Sep 26, 2026

Outstanding day of catching 21 limits of rock fish and then switching to Bonito fishing!! 48 Bonito and we left them

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Fish report photo: Rock fish and Bonito

Rock fish and Bonito

Sep 25, 2026

We got 5 limits of rock fish and 19 bonito before quitting as the customers were happy 

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Fish report photo: Bonito tuna fishing

Bonito tuna fishing

Sep 23, 2026

We had a group of 6 and went Bonito Tuna fishing! We ended the day with 43 fish!!

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Fish report photo: Rock fishing and Bonito

Rock fishing and Bonito

Sep 19, 2026

Wide open fishing today for both rock fish and Bonito!!! 13 limits of rock fish,3 lings and 62 bonito!!!! We left them

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Riptide 2026 YTD Fish Counts

Cabezon

California Halibut

King Salmon

Lingcod

Rockfish

Bonito

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