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Bolsa Chica
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 163kJ
- Wind
- W 0 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 158kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 70kJ
- Wind
- WSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 84kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 278, good
- Tue 368, good
- Wed 457, fair
- Thu 525, too small
- Fri 672, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 872, good
- Mon 964, good
- Tue 1063, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Aug, Oct–Nov5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 78, good | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 196kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 68, good | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 163kJ | wind from the west, 0 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 57, fair | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 25, too small | 1 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 72, good | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 2 ft8 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 72, good | 2 ft10 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 64, good | 2 ft11 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 63, good | 3 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 160kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 22°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 04:30 +0.4 mLow 09:40 −0.1 mHigh 15:20 +0.6 mLow 22:22 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:11 +0.6 mLow 10:59 −0.3 mHigh 16:43 +0.5 mLow 23:13 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:46 +0.7 mLow 11:56 −0.5 mHigh 17:51 +0.6 mLow 23:56 −0.7 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.
Best time to go
best Aug, Oct–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Bolsa Chica 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.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Magnolia Street 2.7 km away
- Sunset Beach usa north OC 2.8 km away
- Boxcars 3.8 km away
- Anderson street - The Hole 3.9 km away
- Anderson Street 4.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Bolsa Chica
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (209°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (29°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 139). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually August, October and November, with about 5 good days in 7; in March, April and May, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Huntington Beach, 5 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,090–US$1,980 each
about US$1,090–US$1,980 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 MDW to LGB, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| 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$1,090–US$1,980 |
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
about 10 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Huntington Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Seal Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 11 places to stay
- Beds in Long Beach on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 66 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 6h 45m
About 6h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → LGB, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → LGB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.