Is it worth the trip?
37Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 7 ft swell at 10 s
Mon 2 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft17 s
- Energy
- 930kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tue 3 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 s
- Energy
- 1,602kJ
- Wind
- NW 12 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft10 s
- Energy
- 1,385kJ
- Wind
- NNW 19 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 s
- Energy
- 662kJ
- Wind
- NNW 17 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 s
- Energy
- 1,384kJ
- Wind
- NNW 17 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,874kJ
- Wind
- NW 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 s
- Energy
- 953kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 16, too small
- Mon 235, too small
- Tue 331, poor
- Wed 417, poor
- Thu 519, poor
- Fri 619, poor
- Sat 728, poor
- Sun 876, good
- Mon 970, good
- Tue 1042, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 6, too small | 4 ft13 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 416kJ | wind from the north-west, 19 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 35, too small | 4 ft17 s8 ft at break (est.) | 930kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 31, poor | 7 ft14 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,602kJ | wind from the north-west, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, poor | 8 ft10 s11 ft at break (est.) | 1,385kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 19 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, poor | 7 ft9 s8 ft at break (est.) | 662kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 17 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 19, poor | 7 ft13 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,384kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 17 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 28, poor | 9 ft11 s12 ft at break (est.) | 1,874kJ | wind from the north-west, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 76, good | 7 ft10 s9 ft at break (est.) | 953kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 70, good | 7 ft11 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,169kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 42, poor | 7 ft10 s9 ft at break (est.) | 925kJ | wind from the north-west, 10 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:08 +0.3 mLow 08:16 +0.1 mHigh 14:08 +0.6 mLow 21:46 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:56 +0.4 mLow 10:07 −0.1 mHigh 15:40 +0.5 mLow 22:43 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:35 +0.5 mLow 11:25 −0.3 mHigh 17:02 +0.5 mLow 23:33 −0.7 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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, 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
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 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
Shark park on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shark park
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (320°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (140°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). No town nearby. Jalama, 49 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Isla Vista, 67 km. Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 70 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.
Water about 16°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 67 km away
No town nearby
Jalama, 49 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Isla Vista, 67 km. Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 70 km.
See places to stay near Isla Vista, 67 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 7h 55m
About 7h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h 30m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.