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Shelves
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
34Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 6 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 327kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 528kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 568kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 309kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 479kJ
- Wind
- E 0 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 465kJ
- Wind
- WNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 300kJ
- Wind
- W 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 19, too small
- Mon 216, too small
- Tue 329, too small
- Wed 454, fair
- Thu 522, too small
- Fri 632, too small
- Sat 734, too small
- Sun 824, too small
- Mon 919, too small
- Tue 1034, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Shelves does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft13 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 12 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 16, too small | 3 ft16 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 327kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 29, too small | 4 ft14 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 528kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 2 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 54, fair | 6 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 568kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 22, too small | 5 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 309kJ | offshorewind from the north, 4 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 32, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 479kJ | wind from the east, 0 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 34, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 465kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 24, too small | 4 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 300kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 19, too small | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 379kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 34, too small | 5 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 456kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 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 04:00 +0.3 mLow 08:12 +0.1 mHigh 14:07 +0.7 mLow 21:43 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:50 +0.4 mLow 10:04 −0.1 mHigh 15:39 +0.6 mLow 22:41 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:30 +0.6 mLow 11:22 −0.3 mHigh 17:01 +0.5 mLow 23:31 −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.
Map
the spot and its town
Shelves 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
- More Mesa 1 km away
- Hope Ranch 2.5 km away
- Goleta Rock 3.5 km away
- Campus Point 4.4 km away
- Depressions 4.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shelves
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (182°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (2°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 76). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 Santa Barbara, 8.7 km away (about 15 min by car). 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$1,080–US$1,960 each
about US$1,080–US$1,960 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$33–US$54 |
| 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$1,080–US$1,960 |
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
6 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Goleta its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Isla Vista on Booking.com
10 min by car · 18 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
15 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
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.