Goleta Rock
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
36Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 6 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 547kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 520kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 271kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 470kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 626kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 368kJ
- Wind
- ENE 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 435kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 215, too small
- Tue 334, too small
- Wed 451, fair
- Thu 513, too small
- Fri 633, too small
- Sat 731, too small
- Sun 832, too small
- Mon 937, too small
- Tue 1043, 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
Goleta Rock 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 | 15, too small | 3 ft16 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 329kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 34, too small | 4 ft14 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 547kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 51, fair | 6 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 520kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 13, too small | 5 ft8 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 271kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 33, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 470kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 31, too small | 5 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 626kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 32, too small | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 368kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 37, too small | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 435kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 43, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 592kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots | 21°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
Goleta Rock 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.
Photos of Goleta Rock
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Live webcam
press to load it
Live webcam
At Goleta Rock
Near Goleta Rock, 1 km away
Webcams belong to their owners. Nothing from the webcam's site loads until you press the button.
More surf near here
5 places
- Campus Point 1.2 km away
- Depressions 1.6 km away
- More Mesa 2.5 km away
- Shelves 3.5 km away
- Devereux 3.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Goleta Rock
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (159°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (339°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.1 km out (1 in 108). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 Goleta, 2.4 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
| 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 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| 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$1,070–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
4 min by car · 18 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Isla Vista its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Goleta on Booking.com
4 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
22 min by car · 93 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 ORD → SBA, direct, then 20 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.