Staying Home Sucks, home
ISS006-E-18573 - View of California
Jalama, the nearest town, 11 km away. Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Lefts and Rights

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

65Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Sat 7: 8 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 52 out of 100

Swell
5 ft14 shollow
Energy
1,097kJ
Wind
NNW 6 kn
Temp
19°C

Wed 4 · 69 out of 100

Swell
7 ft10 scrumbling
Energy
996kJ
Wind
NNW 11 kn
Temp
21°C

Thu 5 · 26 out of 100

Swell
7 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
540kJ
Wind
N 7 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 65 out of 100

Swell
8 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
1,311kJ
Wind
NNW 6 kn
Temp
27°C

Sat 7 · 79 out of 100

Swell
8 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
1,681kJ
Wind
NNE 2 kn
Temp
25°C

Sun 8 · 61 out of 100

Swell
7 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
980kJ
Wind
ESE 1 kn
Temp
26°C

Mon 9 · 69 out of 100

Swell
8 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
1,502kJ
Wind
WSW 4 kn
Temp
23°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 232, too small
  2. Tue 352, fair
  3. Wed 469, good
  4. Thu 526, poor
  5. Fri 665, good
  6. Sat 779, good
  7. Sun 861, good
  8. Mon 969, good
  9. Tue 1066, good
  10. Wed 1174, good

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Stakes swell from the S
  • Offshore: Nwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 4–16 ftof swell
  • Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Lefts and Rights, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov32, too small3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.)305kJwind from the south-east, 4 knots21°C
Tue 3Nov52, fair5 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)1,097kJwind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore19°C
Wed 4Nov69, good7 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)996kJwind from the north-north-west, 11 knots, offshore21°C
Thu 5Nov26, poor7 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)540kJwind from the north, 7 knots, offshore26°C
Fri 6Nov65, good8 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)1,311kJwind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore27°C
Sat 7Nov79, good8 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)1,681kJwind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore25°C
Sun 8Nov61, good7 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)980kJwind from the east-south-east, 1 knot26°C
Mon 9Nov69, good8 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)1,502kJwind from the west-south-west, 4 knots23°C
Tue 10Nov66, good7 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)926kJwind from the north, 2 knots, offshore21°C
Wed 11Nov74, good8 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)1,396kJwind from the north-north-west, 12 knots, offshore21°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 04:57 +0.4 mLow 10:09 −0.1 mHigh 15:42 +0.6 mLow 22:46 −0.9 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 05:37 +0.6 mLow 11:26 −0.3 mHigh 17:04 +0.5 mLow 23:36 −0.8 m
  • Wed 4 NovHigh 06:12 +0.7 mLow 12:25 −0.5 mHigh 18:14 +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 and its town

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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More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Lefts and Rights

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces S (173°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (353°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 20). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Jalama. 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$1,200–US$2,170 each

about US$1,200–US$2,170 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 2 November 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$255–US$530
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$302–US$503
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$148–US$242
Totalabout US$1,200–US$2,170

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Jalama

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Closest

Jalama

about 20 min by car · 2 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 2 places to stay in Jalama · Booking.com

About Jalama its beds, food and every spot near it

Nearest town: Jalama, 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 7h 35m

About 7h 35m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h 10m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

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