Diablo Deck - San Luis Obispo
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
62Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 7 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 943kJ
- Wind
- WNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 940kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 376kJ
- Wind
- N 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 1,255kJ
- Wind
- N 10 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 2,554kJ
- Wind
- NNE 9 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 1,018kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 1,352kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 239, too small
- Tue 346, fair
- Wed 468, good
- Thu 536, too small
- Fri 658, fair
- Sat 761, good
- Sun 872, good
- Mon 966, good
- Tue 1074, good
- Wed 1155, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Aug–Sep3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 39, too small | 5 ft16 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 1,123kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 46, fair | 6 ft13 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 943kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 68, good | 7 ft10 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 940kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 36, too small | 6 ft8 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 376kJ | offshorewind from the north, 12 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 58, fair | 8 ft11 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 1,255kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 61, good | 10 ft12 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 2,554kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 72, good | 7 ft11 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 1,018kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 66, good | 8 ft11 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 1,352kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 74, good | 7 ft10 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 1,094kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 55, fair | 9 ft11 shollow8 ft at break (est.) | 1,874kJ | offshorewind from the north, 7 knots, offshore | 19°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 05:11 +0.5 mLow 10:27 −0.1 mHigh 15:56 +0.6 mLow 22:59 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:50 +0.6 mLow 11:41 −0.3 mHigh 17:18 +0.5 mLow 23:49 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:26 +0.7 mLow 12:39 −0.5 mHigh 18:29 +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.
Best time to go
best Aug–Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug3of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Diablo Deck - San Luis Obispo 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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More surf near here
5 places
- A-Frames 7.3 km away
- Lonesomes 7.4 km away
- Spooners Cove 7.4 km away
- Left Spot 8.1 km away
- Hazard Canyon 8.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Diablo Deck - San Luis Obispo
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (225°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (45°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 13). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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 August and September, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Los Osos.
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$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 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 2 November 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$530 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,170 |
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 20 min by car · 4 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Los Osos its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Cuesta By The Sea on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Avila Beach on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 19 places to stay
Nearest beds: Los Osos, 11 km (about 20 min by car)
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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 55m
About 8h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 2h 30m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.