Is it worth the trip?
58Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 4 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 292kJ
- Wind
- WNW 16 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 298kJ
- Wind
- NW 12 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 134kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 252kJ
- Wind
- NW 10 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 334kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 163kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 239kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 238, too small
- Tue 325, poor
- Wed 456, fair
- Thu 562, good
- Fri 657, fair
- Sat 773, good
- Sun 836, too small
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1063, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Jan2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
santa cruz island does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 38, too small | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 169kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 25, poor | 3 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 292kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 16 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 56, fair | 4 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 298kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 12 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 62, good | 4 ft7 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 134kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 252kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 73, good | 4 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 36, too small | 3 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 163kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 3 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 239kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 63, good | 4 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 311kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 8 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 04:40 +0.4 mLow 09:50 −0.1 mHigh 15:28 +0.6 mLow 22:29 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:19 +0.6 mLow 11:09 −0.3 mHigh 16:50 +0.5 mLow 23:19 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:55 +0.7 mLow 12:07 −0.5 mHigh 17:58 +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 Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 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
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 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 cruz island 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About santa cruz island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (168°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (348°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 6). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 14°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest beds: Port Hueneme, 45 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 53 km.
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$898–US$1,660 each
about US$898–US$1,660 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 |
| 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$898–US$1,660 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 45 km away
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Port Hueneme, 45 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 53 km.
See places to stay near Port Hueneme, 45 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 7h 40m
About 7h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h 15m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.