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Santa Clause
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
47Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 3 ft swell at 14 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft16 ssoft
- Energy
- 219kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 393kJ
- Wind
- NNE 0 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 438kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 260kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 195kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 320kJ
- Wind
- S 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 210kJ
- Wind
- NNE 0 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 120, too small
- Mon 261, good
- Tue 366, good
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 653, fair
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 859, fair
- Mon 915, poor
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- 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 beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 20, too small | 1 ft12 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 61, good | 2 ft16 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 219kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 66, good | 3 ft14 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 393kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 0 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 5 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 438kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 260kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 53, fair | 2 ft14 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 195kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft10 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 320kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft1 ft at break (est.) | 210kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 0 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 15, poor | 3 ft10 ssoft1 ft at break (est.) | 197kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 364kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 03:55 +0.3 mLow 08:06 +0.1 mHigh 14:04 +0.7 mLow 21:39 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:46 +0.4 mLow 10:01 −0.1 mHigh 15:36 +0.6 mLow 22:38 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:26 +0.6 mLow 11:18 −0.3 mHigh 16:58 +0.5 mLow 23:28 −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 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
- Jun3of 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
- 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
Santa Clause 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.
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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
- Serena's 1.7 km away
- Carpinteria Beach 3.2 km away
- Tarpits 3.9 km away
- Jelly Bowl 4.2 km away
- Fernald Point 6.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Santa Clause
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (200°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (20°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 164). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 July, August, September and October, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carpinteria, 3.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 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$1,110–US$2,020 each
about US$1,110–US$2,020 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$67–US$114 |
| 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$1,110–US$2,020 |
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
6 min by car · 17 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Carpinteria its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Rincon California on Booking.com
14 min by car · 1 place to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
24 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 7h 15m
About 7h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.