Seals
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
46Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 5 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 489kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 499kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 314kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 427kJ
- Wind
- WSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 528kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 317kJ
- Wind
- SE 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 397kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 222, too small
- Tue 339, too small
- Wed 429, poor
- Thu 534, poor
- Fri 646, fair
- Sat 770, good
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 949, fair
- Tue 1068, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 5–19 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Seals 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 | 22, too small | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 136kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 39, too small | 4 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 489kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 29, poor | 5 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 499kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, poor | 5 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 314kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 46, fair | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 427kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 70, good | 5 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 528kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 4 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 317kJ | wind from the south-east, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 49, fair | 4 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 397kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 68, good | 5 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 492kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 22°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 04:52 +0.4 mLow 10:05 −0.1 mHigh 15:40 +0.6 mLow 22:43 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:32 +0.6 mLow 11:23 −0.3 mHigh 17:02 +0.5 mLow 23:33 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:08 +0.7 mLow 12:21 −0.5 mHigh 18:11 +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.
Map
the spot and its town
Seals 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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Live webcam
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In Goleta, the nearest town, 11 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- Naples 1.1 km away
- Driftwoods 1.4 km away
- Haskells 3.3 km away
- ED's 4.3 km away
- Rockpile 4.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Seals
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (197°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (17°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 23). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Goleta. Within 5 km we also list 5 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$1,070–US$1,950 each
about US$1,070–US$1,950 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$20–US$40 |
| 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$1,070–US$1,950 |
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
14 min by car · 18 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Isla Vista its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Goleta on Booking.com
19 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
39 min by car · 93 places to stay
Nearest beds: Goleta, 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 6h 55m
About 6h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.