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Cayucos
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 8 ft swell at 11 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft17 scrumbling
- Energy
- 778kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,059kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 974kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 358kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,379kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 78 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,359kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 798kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 123, too small
- Mon 237, too small
- Tue 347, fair
- Wed 476, good
- Thu 541, too small
- Fri 676, good
- Sat 778, good
- Sun 858, fair
- Mon 974, good
- Tue 1066, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Jul–Oct4 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft13 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 306kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 37, too small | 4 ft17 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 778kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 47, fair | 5 ft14 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,059kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 76, good | 7 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 974kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 41, too small | 6 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 358kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 76, good | 8 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,379kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 78, good | 8 ft11 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 1,359kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 58, fair | 6 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 798kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 74, good | 7 ft11 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 1,097kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 66, good | 7 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 841kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 18°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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:24 +0.3 mLow 08:49 +0.1 mHigh 14:29 +0.6 mLow 22:04 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:12 +0.5 mLow 10:27 −0.1 mHigh 15:58 +0.6 mLow 23:01 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:52 +0.6 mLow 11:42 −0.3 mHigh 17:20 +0.5 mLow 23:51 −0.8 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 Jul–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Cayucos on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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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
- 24st. and Studios 1.3 km away
- Mouse Rock 1.3 km away
- Pinkhouse 1.9 km away
- A-Beach 4.9 km away
- The Pit 8.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Cayucos
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (227°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (47°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 48). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually July, August, September and October, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cayucos, 0 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 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
1 min by car · 19 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Cayucos its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Morro Bay on Booking.com
16 min by car · 62 places to stay
- Beds in Cuesta By The Sea on Booking.com
25 min by car · 4 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 9h 15m
About 9h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 2h 50m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.