Magics
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 9 ft swell at 13 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 1,067kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 875kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 408kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 1,340kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,505kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,048kJ
- Wind
- NE 1 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,117kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 234, too small
- Tue 349, fair
- Wed 461, good
- Thu 536, too small
- Fri 665, good
- Sat 785, good
- Sun 868, good
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1078, 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 in Dec2 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 | 34, too small | 5 ft16 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 968kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 49, fair | 5 ft14 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 1,067kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 61, good | 7 ft10 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 875kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 36, too small | 6 ft8 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 408kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 65, good | 7 ft12 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 1,340kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 85, good | 9 ft13 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 2,505kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 68, good | 7 ft11 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,048kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 7 ft11 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 1,117kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 7 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 1,212kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 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 05:07 +0.5 mLow 10:23 −0.1 mHigh 15:53 +0.5 mLow 22:55 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:46 +0.6 mLow 11:38 −0.3 mHigh 17:15 +0.5 mLow 23:46 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:22 +0.7 mLow 12:37 −0.5 mHigh 18:26 +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 in Dec
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
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 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
Magics 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
- Main Street 8 km away
- Hippo Rock 20.8 km away
- Oceano 22.9 km away
- Pismo Beach 27.6 km away
- Sewers 29.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Magics
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (231°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (51°). 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 steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 20). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in April, 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 month is usually December, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Oceano. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 40 min by car · 19 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Oceano its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pismo Beach on Booking.com
about 50 min by car · 47 places to stay
- Beds in Shell Beach on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 10 places to stay
Nearest beds: Oceano, 23 km (about 40 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 15m
About 8h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h 55m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.