Tarpits
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
29Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 5 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 344kJ
- Wind
- NNW 0 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 379kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 245kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 243kJ
- Wind
- NW 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 317kJ
- Wind
- WSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 206kJ
- Wind
- SSE 1 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 247kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 213, too small
- Tue 326, too small
- Wed 444, too small
- Thu 527, too small
- Fri 620, too small
- Sat 733, too small
- Sun 820, too small
- Mon 910, too small
- Tue 1025, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best in Aug5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft16 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 181kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 26, too small | 3 ft14 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 344kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 0 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 44, too small | 5 ft9 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 379kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 27, too small | 4 ft9 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 245kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 20, too small | 4 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 243kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 33, too small | 4 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 317kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 20, too small | 3 ft10 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 206kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 247kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 25, too small | 4 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 385kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 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 04:46 +0.4 mLow 10:01 −0.1 mHigh 15:36 +0.6 mLow 22:38 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:26 +0.6 mLow 11:18 −0.3 mHigh 16:58 +0.5 mLow 23:28 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:02 +0.7 mLow 12:16 −0.5 mHigh 18:06 +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.
Best time to go
best in Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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, its town, photos
Tarpits 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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Photos of Tarpits
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More surf near here
5 places
- Jelly Bowl 0.3 km away
- Carpinteria Beach 1.2 km away
- Santa Clause 3.9 km away
- Serena's 5.6 km away
- La conchita 6.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tarpits
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (203°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (23°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 34). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 month is usually August, with about 5 good days in 7; in January, March and April, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carpinteria, 1.2 km away (about 5 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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 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
about 10 min by car · 1 place to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
about 35 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 · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.