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Serena's
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 4 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 219kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 393kJ
- Wind
- NNE 0 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 438kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 224kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 317kJ
- Wind
- SW 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 285kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 210kJ
- Wind
- W 0 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 112, too small
- Mon 231, too small
- Tue 370, good
- Wed 459, fair
- Thu 573, good
- Fri 656, fair
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 970, good
- Tue 1077, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Jul–Sep3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft12 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft16 scrumbling1 ft at break (est.) | 219kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 70, good | 3 ft14 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 393kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 0 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 59, fair | 5 ft10 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 438kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 73, good | 4 ft8 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 224kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 56, fair | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 317kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 4 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 285kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 3 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 210kJ | wind from the west, 0 knots | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 70, good | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 262kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 77, good | 4 ft11 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 364kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 25°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 03:58 +0.3 mLow 08:09 +0.1 mHigh 14:05 +0.7 mLow 21:41 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:48 +0.4 mLow 10:02 −0.1 mHigh 15:38 +0.6 mLow 22:39 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:28 +0.6 mLow 11:19 −0.3 mHigh 16:59 +0.5 mLow 23:30 −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–Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug3of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Serena's 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Santa Clause 1.7 km away
- Fernald Point 4.7 km away
- Carpinteria Beach 4.9 km away
- Miramar Beach 5.6 km away
- Tarpits 5.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Serena's
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (195°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (15°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 89). 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 and September, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carpinteria, 4.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 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
9 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
17 min by car · 1 place to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
22 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.