Is it worth the trip?
14Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: too small (3 ft swell at 11 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 175kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 143kJ
- Wind
- NW 12 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 140kJ
- Wind
- NW 14 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 46kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 201kJ
- Wind
- WNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 204kJ
- Wind
- W 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 142kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 18, too small
- Mon 216, too small
- Tue 38, too small
- Wed 48, too small
- Thu 58, too small
- Fri 616, too small
- Sat 723, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 919, too small
- Tue 1016, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Skunk Point 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 | 8, too small | 3 ft13 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 192kJ | wind from the north-west, 17 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 16, too small | 3 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 175kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 143kJ | wind from the north-west, 12 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 140kJ | wind from the north-west, 14 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 46kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 16, too small | 3 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 201kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 204kJ | offshorewind from the west, 1 knot, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 142kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 19, too small | 3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 154kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 116kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 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 04:01 +0.3 mLow 08:11 +0.1 mHigh 14:05 +0.6 mLow 21:41 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:49 +0.4 mLow 10:04 −0.1 mHigh 15:37 +0.5 mLow 22:39 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:29 +0.6 mLow 11:20 −0.3 mHigh 16:59 +0.5 mLow 23:29 −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
Skunk Point 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Skunk Point
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (54°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (234°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 35). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). No town nearby. Nearest beds: Isla Vista, 49 km (about 1h 30m by car). Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 51 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.
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$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 49 km away
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Isla Vista, 49 km (about 1h 30m by car). Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 51 km.
See places to stay near Isla Vista, 49 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 7h 35m
About 7h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.