Avila - Fat Cats
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
58Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 7 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft15 s
- Energy
- 385kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft14 s
- Energy
- 925kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 s
- Energy
- 783kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 s
- Energy
- 183kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 s
- Energy
- 1,347kJ
- Wind
- NW 9 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 s
- Energy
- 1,348kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 s
- Energy
- 806kJ
- Wind
- SE 0 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 127, too small
- Mon 231, too small
- Tue 344, too small
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 514, too small
- Fri 666, good
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 856, fair
- Mon 967, good
- Tue 1065, good
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 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Avila - Fat Cats 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 | 27, too small | 3 ft13 s5 ft at break (est.) | 266kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 31, too small | 3 ft15 s6 ft at break (est.) | 385kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 44, too small | 5 ft14 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 925kJ | offshorewind from the north, 2 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 7 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 783kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 14, too small | 3 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 183kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 66, good | 7 ft13 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,347kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 9 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 7 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,348kJ | offshorewind from the north, 2 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 56, fair | 6 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 806kJ | wind from the south-east, 0 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 67, good | 7 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,037kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 65, good | 7 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 824kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:20 +0.3 mLow 08:46 +0.1 mHigh 14:26 +0.6 mLow 22:00 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:08 +0.5 mLow 10:25 −0.1 mHigh 15:55 +0.5 mLow 22:57 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:48 +0.6 mLow 11:39 −0.3 mHigh 17:17 +0.5 mLow 23:48 −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
Avila - Fat Cats 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
- Sand Spit - Port San Luis 1.6 km away
- Avila Beach - Waters point 2.7 km away
- Sunset Palisades 4.8 km away
- Sewers 5.6 km away
- St. Annes 5.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Avila - Fat Cats
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (175°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (355°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Avila Beach, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,200–US$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,200–US$2,160 |
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
5 min by car · 19 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Avila Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Shell Beach on Booking.com
12 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Pismo Beach on Booking.com
17 min by car · 47 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 8h 45m
About 8h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 2h 20m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.