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Lighthouse
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 4 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 457kJ
- Wind
- NNW 0 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 474kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 181kJ
- Wind
- WNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 339kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 451kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 296kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 360kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 233, too small
- Tue 369, good
- Wed 456, fair
- Thu 569, good
- Fri 673, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 871, good
- Mon 976, good
- Tue 1061, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Aug–Sep4 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 33, too small | 2 ft16 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 265kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 69, good | 3 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 457kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 0 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 56, fair | 5 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 474kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 69, good | 4 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 181kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 73, good | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 339kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 451kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 71, good | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 296kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 76, good | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 360kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 61, good | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 435kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 23°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 04:50 +0.4 mLow 10:04 −0.1 mHigh 15:39 +0.6 mLow 22:41 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:30 +0.6 mLow 11:22 −0.3 mHigh 17:01 +0.5 mLow 23:31 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:06 +0.7 mLow 12:20 −0.5 mHigh 18:10 +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 beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 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
- Jul3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 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
Lighthouse on Google Maps · Directions
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.
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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
- Leadbetter 0.9 km away
- Sandspit 2 km away
- Mesa Lane 2.2 km away
- Hendry's beach - arroyo burro 3.5 km away
- Hope Ranch 6.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Lighthouse
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (185°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (5°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 30). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 14°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually August and September, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Barbara, 3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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$1,080–US$1,960 each
about US$1,080–US$1,960 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$33–US$54 |
| 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$1,080–US$1,960 |
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 5 min by car · 93 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Santa Barbara its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Goleta on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Isla Vista on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 18 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 7h
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.