How Deep Is the Water Below?
The strait and its currents
The whole of San Francisco Bay drains and refills through this one gap, so the water moves fast on the ebb and the flood. From the east sidewalk you can watch the water working around the tower bases. The facts page has the bridge’s own dimensions above it.
Swimming the Gate
Organised open-water swims start under the Golden Gate Bridge and finish under the Bay Bridge, with pilot boats alongside. This is a club sport with escorts and timed to the tide. It is not something to try from the beach at Fort Point. The things-to-do page keeps to dry land.
What the boats do
The Golden Gate Bay Cruise and the Bridge to Bridge Cruise both sail out under the bridge from Pier 43½, turn in the strait and come back past Alcatraz. The seaplane flies over it. Nothing lands at the bridge.
The chop in the strait is real. If you are prone to seasickness, take the seat in the middle of the boat and watch the horizon while she turns under the deck.
Frequently asked questions
Can you swim under the Golden Gate Bridge?
Only in an organised swim with pilot boats; the currents are strong. The cruises on the cruise page are the sensible way onto the water.
How high is the bridge above the water?
220 feet at mid-span. The towers rise 746 feet above the water. Full figures on the facts page.
Do the cruises go all the way under?
Yes. The bay cruise and the Bridge to Bridge cruise both pass beneath the deck and turn in the strait. See the bay cruise close-up.