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Sea Cliff
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 301kJ
- Wind
- NNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 310kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 218kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 150kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 257kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 172kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 210kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 227, too small
- Tue 358, fair
- Wed 469, good
- Thu 573, good
- Fri 662, good
- Sat 774, good
- Sun 853, fair
- Mon 962, good
- Tue 1073, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Sep–Nov3 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 | 27, too small | 2 ft16 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 157kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft14 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 301kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 69, good | 4 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 310kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 73, good | 4 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 218kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 62, good | 3 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 150kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 74, good | 3 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 257kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 172kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 62, good | 3 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 210kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 73, good | 4 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 300kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 24°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 04:46 +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
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:02 +0.7 mLow 12:16 −0.5 mHigh 18:06 +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 Sep–Nov
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
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 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, its town, photos
Sea Cliff 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.
Photos of Sea Cliff
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More surf near here
5 places
- Hobson's 0.9 km away
- Little Rincon 2.3 km away
- La conchita 3.6 km away
- Pitas Point 3.9 km away
- Faria 4.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Sea Cliff
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (213°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (33°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 61). 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 20°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in April and May, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carpinteria. 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$1,140–US$2,060 each
about US$1,140–US$2,060 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$94–US$154 |
| 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$1,140–US$2,060 |
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
about 15 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Rincon California its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carpinteria on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 17 places to stay
- Beds in Ventura on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 32 places to stay
Nearest beds: Carpinteria, 11 km (about 20 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 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.