cabrillo beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
56Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 2 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 178kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 173kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- WNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 94kJ
- Wind
- NE 1 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 131kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 103kJ
- Wind
- WNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 125kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 266, good
- Tue 360, good
- Wed 449, fair
- Thu 57, too small
- Fri 648, fair
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 965, good
- Tue 1054, fair
- Wed 1167, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Sep–Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 66, good | 2 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 96kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 60, good | 2 ft14 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 178kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 49, fair | 3 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 173kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft13 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 48, fair | 2 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 94kJ | wind from the north-east, 1 knot | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 2 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 131kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 2 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 103kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 65, good | 2 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 125kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 54, fair | 3 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 214kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 67, good | 2 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 173kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:34 +0.4 mLow 09:44 −0.1 mHigh 15:23 +0.6 mLow 22:25 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:14 +0.6 mLow 11:02 −0.3 mHigh 16:47 +0.5 mLow 23:15 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:49 +0.7 mLow 11:59 −0.5 mHigh 17:54 +0.5 mLow 23:58 −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
best Sep–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- Apr1of 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
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
cabrillo beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Cabrillo Point 0 km away
- Pickles 3 km away
- TCs 3.9 km away
- T C's 4.6 km away
- Japs Cove 5.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About cabrillo beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 56). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Long Beach. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,060–US$1,930 each
about US$1,060–US$1,930 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to LGB, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$517 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$1,060–US$1,930 |
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 15 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Rancho Palos Verdes its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Long Beach on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 66 places to stay
- Beds in Torrance on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 23 places to stay
Nearest beds: Long Beach, 11 km (about 20 min by car)
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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 30m
About 6h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → LGB, direct, then 25 min by road
Flights MDW → LGB on your dates · AviasalesAd
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.