How to Predict Ocean Currents

I am new to ocean fishing.  I have been to the salt about 15 times.  I have fished from Doran to Shelter Cove launching in mostly lighter conditions, winds less than  10 and only moderate waves.  I only once experienced conditions which increased to  near what seemed like safe limits.  I once got nailed on the head when my yak flipped on top of me at Casper in a tall breaking surf landing with waves much larger than when I launched.
      I don't understand  coastal currents.  There were days at Doran when the salmon bite was hot, and the current was just interesting to note, comparing the angle of my line trying to troll the same speed going north as south.  Is  the current the same down deep as on the surface?
Then there was a time at Sonoma Coast in no wind, when I stopped fishing to paddle hard just to assure myself that I could keep up with the current around a point and not be swept to the north  (I could, but had to keep at it ).  I have had great fishing  there, but the last time I was there the current and wind  at mid day were both from the northwest and the current was so strong that there were small waves and eddies  behind some bull kelp .
Even tying off to the kelp, I could not fish effectively with a 6 oz jig in 50' of water.
     There are fairly good wind forecasts and going early usually seems to help, but I don't understand how the currents change and when they are stronger or weaker on the coast with no inlet or river.
Do they correspond to the tide cycles, or the height difference of the tides?  They sometimes seem stronger close in and sometimes not.   They seem stronger close in around points.
I have found sites that give average currents for various areas, but none that predict hour by hour or daily.  Are there any such references available?
I have very limited experience and would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks, and tight lines

I know nothing about predicting them except the obvious about incoming and outgoing etc

Inshore you're mostly dealing with localized currents, meaning if you're stuck in something going the wrong direction you can usually get off it by moving out til you find the rip

 talking about ocean not sf bay, a different ball of wax

Stinson is an example where it can really rip along and push you the wrong direction, same on the rocky pt to muir, just for examples Just want to move outside, sometimes not too far

No point fighting directly into it you'll just wear yourself out

A few times I almost and probably should've thrown in the towel and called a cab to carry me back to the car. I spent a few hours getting up to Bolinas along Stinson, should've just landed and hitched a ride or walked up the beach

Usually there's an outside edge to get to

There are current and tide charts sailors use that I've heard are pretty reliable for knowing when where currents will be, never got around to looking at those

Mostly you're inshore anyway, so is like micro zones you have to deal with around points, inside coves etc

Sometime would be fun to ride the incoming under the Golden Gate but would want to be with somebody who knows it

A friend of mine had to be fished out by a coast guard helicopter after the whaler they were in endoed under there, quite exciting

Currents are very complex and potentially very dangerous.  I'm like bluekayak - haven't spent much time looking for info and predictions on currents.  When you're on a kayak in the ocean the most important pieces of information are generally swell height and wind.  Being aware of the prevailing or usual wind and swell direction (like NW along the north coast of California in the summer) is extremely important, but you cannot generalize about how the conditions will be based on history alone.  A careful study of the recent trends is key, and being ready for currents to be doing things that you wouldn't have thought they would is a good way to approach offshore paddling.  I've seen numerous instances of currents running against what was predicted in regards to wind and swell, and being on a kayak makes those forces a much larger factor in the success of the trip as well as having implications for our survival!

When I paddle out of Humboldt Bay I am ready for a strong North to South current that can combine with wind and possibly hinder or prevent my ability to make ground heading North, so I generally head against current and wind and use it to assist me back to port.  Counting on a current to change in order to get you back where you started is a mistake, IMO.

I'd like to learn more about currents, but I'm not in a hurry to change my M.O. of closely studying forecasts and reported conditions as well as constantly noting and factoring in the conditions that I experience in person.

Paddling up a river can teach you much about how you may or may not be able to handle currents - not a joke!  I'm not talking about river currents.  I'm talking about the ability to become aware of your own potential as you paddle for prolonged time against what will turn you around if you stop.

Earlier this summer I was lured south of the Humboldt Bay entrance a couple of miles because that's where the salmon were biting for the fleet of powerboats.  The wind was light, but there was a ripping N to S current.  I rode it down to the bite, hung there for quite some time fishing with the fleet, then decided I'd better get back to port.  That's when the wind came up from the NW, the swell kicked up 3 to 5' higher than it had been, and the current was suddenly part of a combination of forces against me.  I paddled hard for an hour and a half to make the two miles back to the entrance, and getting around the tip of the south jetty took all I had.  I was mindful of the potential need to use my VHF to ask for assistance from a nearby powerboat, but it was the last thing I'd want to do in terms of allowing my own miscalculation to provide proof for some that I shouldn't have been in that situation.

Mostly you wont have to worry much about currents unless you're fishing stretches of coastline around outlets to inland waters like Humboldt or sf bays or someplace like Bolinas lagoon and the mouth at moss landing, otherwise currents in most spots are small potatoes and you can get outside of them pretty easily

weather turning on a dime is way more likely to cause you headaches, you have to know the place and how to deal with what comes along

I've been out when things looked fairly peachy one minute and I was thinking okay I'm going offshore, then it looked like a white water river had been laid down in front of me and the sport boats are disappearing into it. Where it first hit the water it was probably only a hundred yards wide if that and happened so quick it was hard to wrap your head around it

One minute everybody trolling along happily and then everybody hightailing it south in scary conditions

I remember the feeling of looking at that and basically not being able to register what was happening and then thinking holy shit it's coming this way and making the quickest uturn in the history of kayak fishing and then four miles of a very hairy ride

On the northside the pattern is fairly predictable, the blow/swell/wind waves usually comes out of the northwest

So there the best approach is start at the bottom end, go uphill, if the usual blow arrives you just ride it back down. Can be like riding a fast river

It's mostly what happens there but you have to know some landing options. A few times I was looking at everything that went by to see if it was landable, and some of those there's no access to the road so would be a long chilly night

My uncle is a notoriously good sailor and knows his stuff, I'll ask him for pointers about currents next time we communicate. In the past I had some interest in going offshore further so it's something I've meant to do for a long time

Getting familiar with the geography where you are is a good thing, and worth asking locals and fishermen who know the area

Otherwise just go out and get to know it yourself

Looked at all that blather and realized it probably isn't helpful

I've only been to Doran twice and the second time hit that current going past the point where the rock is, was almost at a standstill

Don't know but would guess it was to do with the outgoing and all that water pushing up past and bottle necking at the point

You get the same thing at muir and Pedro Pt, usually have to just get outside of it if you want to get past it

At Pedro you can go outside and up current and then troll back down

Thinking about doing that tomorrow with a little luck

There is great satellite imagery of ocean currents, search NASA modis. However these are major currents driven by warm and cold water. Like bluekayak said, not much of an issue near shore. Checking out satelite imagery after a rain cam tell you a lot about near shore currents with all the sediment coming out of the rivers and bays and what not. Like adding dye to the ocean. Agree with Eric on paddling in the river. It will really help develop the skillset necassary to deal with gnarly conditions (class 1 maybe 2 type stuff) and understand where you are at in regards to the your physical limit paddling inncurrent. Whitewater and surf kayaking for 10 years really helped to develop the skills I need to deal with choppy seas, understanding wave dynamics and boat stability is crucial.

Thanks a lot for all your advice.

I wouldn't think current would be that big of deal here, but where I come from in WA, one can experience 7 + knot currents during normal tidal flows some locations in Puget Sound. It's like being in a river. LOL.