El Capitan
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 6 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 551kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 555kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Thu 5 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 308kJ
- Wind
- NW 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 551kJ
- Wind
- WNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 732kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- SSE 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 676kJ
- Wind
- WSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 217, too small
- Tue 329, too small
- Wed 452, fair
- Thu 516, too small
- Fri 632, too small
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 86, too small
- Mon 941, too small
- Tue 1046, fair
- Wed 1154, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
El Capitan does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 141kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 29, too small | 4 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 551kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 52, fair | 6 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 555kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 16, too small | 5 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 308kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 32, too small | 5 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 551kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 6 ft12 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 732kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 41, too small | 6 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 676kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 46, fair | 5 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 545kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 54, fair | 6 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 711kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:52 +0.4 mLow 10:05 −0.1 mHigh 15:40 +0.6 mLow 22:43 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:32 +0.6 mLow 11:23 −0.3 mHigh 17:02 +0.5 mLow 23:33 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:08 +0.7 mLow 12:21 −0.5 mHigh 18:11 +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
El Capitan 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 El Capitan
Live webcam
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Live webcam
In Goleta, the nearest town, 19 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- ED's 3.8 km away
- Naples 7 km away
- Seals 8.1 km away
- Driftwoods 9.5 km away
- Haskells 11.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About El Capitan
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (192°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (12°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Goleta. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 16°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$1,090–US$1,980 each
about US$1,090–US$1,980 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$40–US$67 |
| 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$1,090–US$1,980 |
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 30 min by car · 18 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Isla Vista its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Goleta on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 93 places to stay
Nearest beds: Goleta, 19 km (about 35 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 7h
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
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.