Avila - Fat Cats
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
62Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 9 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft14 s
- Energy
- 901kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 s
- Energy
- 730kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 s
- Energy
- 126kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 s
- Energy
- 964kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 s
- Energy
- 1,957kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 s
- Energy
- 972kJ
- Wind
- W 1 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,336kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 232, too small
- Tue 344, too small
- Wed 462, good
- Thu 514, too small
- Fri 660, good
- Sat 779, good
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1064, good
- Wed 1177, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Avila - Fat Cats does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft12 s6 ft at break (est.) | 280kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 44, too small | 5 ft14 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 901kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 62, good | 7 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 730kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft14 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 126kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 60, good | 6 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 964kJ | offshorewind from the north, 8 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 79, good | 9 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,957kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 7 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 972kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 8 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,336kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 64, good | 8 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,895kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 77, good | 8 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,452kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:08 +0.5 mLow 10:25 −0.1 mHigh 15:55 +0.5 mLow 22:57 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:48 +0.6 mLow 11:39 −0.3 mHigh 17:17 +0.5 mLow 23:48 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:24 +0.7 mLow 12:38 −0.5 mHigh 18:28 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Avila - Fat Cats on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Sand Spit - Port San Luis 1.6 km away
- Avila Beach - Waters point 2.7 km away
- Sunset Palisades 4.8 km away
- Sewers 5.6 km away
- St. Annes 5.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Avila - Fat Cats
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (175°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (355°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Avila Beach, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,200–US$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$529 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,160 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 19 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Avila Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Shell Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Pismo Beach on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 47 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 45m
About 8h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 2h 20m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.