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Driftwoods
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 6 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft15 scrumbling
- Energy
- 481kJ
- Wind
- NW 9 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 519kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 310kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 535kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 640kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 220kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 649kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 323, too small
- Wed 449, fair
- Thu 525, too small
- Fri 623, too small
- Sat 749, fair
- Sun 811, too small
- Mon 950, fair
- Tue 1048, fair
- Wed 1142, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 5–19 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Driftwoods does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 23, too small | 4 ft15 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 481kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 49, fair | 6 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 519kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 25, too small | 5 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 310kJ | offshorewind from the north, 6 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 23, too small | 5 ft10 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 535kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 49, fair | 6 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 640kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 11, too small | 3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 50, fair | 6 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 649kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 48, fair | 5 ft10 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 494kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 42, too small | 5 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 454kJ | wind from the south-east, 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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:31 +0.6 mLow 11:21 −0.3 mHigh 17:00 +0.5 mLow 23:32 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:06 +0.7 mLow 12:20 −0.5 mHigh 18:09 +0.5 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 00:15 −0.7 mHigh 06:40 +0.8 mLow 13:10 −0.7 mHigh 19:09 +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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Driftwoods 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.
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Photos of Driftwoods
Live webcam
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Live webcam
In Goleta, the nearest town, 9 km away
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Driftwoods
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (199°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (19°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 43). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 Isla Vista, 6.7 km away (9 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 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$1,070–US$1,950 each
about US$1,070–US$1,950 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 ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$530 |
| 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$1,070–US$1,950 |
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
8 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
9 min by car · 18 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
19 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 45m
About 6h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 20 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA 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.