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When the Tide's Out - Goleta Beach
Campus Point. Photo: Damian Gadal, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Campus Point

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

34Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Wed 4: 6 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 23 out of 100

Swell
4 ft14 shollow
Energy
521kJ
Wind
W 8 kn
Temp
20°C

Wed 4 · 51 out of 100

Swell
6 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
538kJ
Wind
SE 3 kn
Temp
22°C

Thu 5 · 5 out of 100

Swell
1 ft11 shollow
Energy
17kJ
Wind
NNE 7 kn
Temp
21°C

Fri 6 · 34 out of 100

Swell
5 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
470kJ
Wind
W 3 kn
Temp
23°C

Sat 7 · 31 out of 100

Swell
5 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
626kJ
Wind
WSW 4 kn
Temp
24°C

Sun 8 · 24 out of 100

Swell
4 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
368kJ
Wind
WSW 1 kn
Temp
24°C

Mon 9 · 37 out of 100

Swell
4 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
435kJ
Wind
SSW 1 kn
Temp
23°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 215, too small
  2. Tue 323, too small
  3. Wed 451, fair
  4. Thu 55, too small
  5. Fri 634, too small
  6. Sat 731, too small
  7. Sun 824, too small
  8. Mon 937, too small
  9. Tue 1040, too small

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 17 °C3/2 wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number

Campus Point does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Campus Point, each day
DayScorefor ExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov15, too small3 ft16 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)329kJwind from the west-south-west, 5 knots19°C
Tue 3Nov23, too small4 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)521kJwind from the west, 8 knots20°C
Wed 4Nov51, fair6 ft9 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)538kJwind from the south-east, 3 knots22°C
Thu 5Nov5, too small1 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.)17kJwind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore21°C
Fri 6Nov34, too small5 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)470kJwind from the west, 3 knots23°C
Sat 7Nov31, too small5 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)626kJwind from the west-south-west, 4 knots24°C
Sun 8Nov24, too small4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)368kJwind from the west-south-west, 1 knot24°C
Mon 9Nov37, too small4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)435kJwind from the south-south-west, 1 knot23°C
Tue 10Nov40, too small5 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)515kJwind from the west, 2 knots21°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 04:51 +0.4 mLow 10:04 −0.1 mHigh 15:39 +0.6 mLow 22:42 −0.9 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 05:31 +0.6 mLow 11:21 −0.3 mHigh 17:00 +0.5 mLow 23:32 −0.8 m
  • Wed 4 NovHigh 06:06 +0.7 mLow 12:20 −0.5 mHigh 18:09 +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, its town, photos

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: 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.

Photos of Campus Point

Goleta Beach
Photo: Damian Gadal, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Life along the beach
Photo: Damian Gadal, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Live webcam

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Live webcam

Near Campus Point, 1 km away

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More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Campus Point

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Isla Vista, 1.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 6 surf spots.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. 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$1,070–US$1,940 each

about US$1,070–US$1,940 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$255–US$529
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$20–US$33
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout US$1,070–US$1,940

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

Closest

Isla Vista

about 5 min by car · 18 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 18 places to stay in Isla Vista · Booking.com

About Isla Vista its beds, food and every spot near it

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 ORD → SBA, direct, then 20 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.