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Strolling along, Santa Monica
Ocean Park, Santa Monica. Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ocean Park, Santa Monica

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

15Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Mon 2: 3 ft swell at 12 s

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 25 out of 100

Swell
3 ft12 ssoft
Energy
209kJ
Wind
NE 6 kn
Temp
20°C

Tue 3 · 15 out of 100

Swell
3 ft12 ssoft
Energy
163kJ
Wind
NNE 2 kn
Temp
21°C

Wed 4 · 15 out of 100

Swell
2 ft11 ssoft
Energy
88kJ
Wind
E 2 kn
Temp
20°C

Thu 5 · 9 out of 100

Swell
1 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
36kJ
Wind
NE 4 kn
Temp
22°C

Fri 6 · 10 out of 100

Swell
1 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
50kJ
Wind
ESE 3 kn
Temp
22°C

Sat 7 · 10 out of 100

Swell
1 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
38kJ
Wind
NNE 5 kn
Temp
25°C

Sun 8 · 8 out of 100

Swell
1 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
32kJ
Wind
NNE 5 kn
Temp
25°C

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

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 116, too small
  2. Mon 225, too small
  3. Tue 315, too small
  4. Wed 415, too small
  5. Thu 59, too small
  6. Fri 610, too small
  7. Sat 710, too small
  8. Sun 88, too small
  9. Mon 910, too small
  10. Tue 1011, too small

The spot in six facts

  • Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
  • Offshore: NEwind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 2–9 ftof swell
  • Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
  • Best in Jan2 good days in 7

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for expert surfers at Ocean Park, Santa Monica, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov16, too small3 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.)227kJwind from the west-north-west, 1 knot20°C
Mon 2Nov25, too small3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.)209kJwind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore20°C
Tue 3Nov15, too small3 ft12 ssoft4 ft at break (est.)163kJwind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore21°C
Wed 4Nov15, too small2 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.)88kJwind from the east, 2 knots20°C
Thu 5Nov9, too small1 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)36kJwind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore22°C
Fri 6Nov10, too small1 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)50kJwind from the east-south-east, 3 knots22°C
Sat 7Nov10, too small1 ft12 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)38kJwind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore25°C
Sun 8Nov8, too small1 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)32kJwind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore25°C
Mon 9Nov10, too small1 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)39kJwind from the south-west, 3 knots24°C
Tue 10Nov11, too small1 ft12 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)43kJwind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore23°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 03:44 +0.3 mLow 07:44 +0.1 mHigh 13:46 +0.6 mLow 21:26 −0.9 m
  • Mon 2 NovHigh 04:36 +0.4 mLow 09:44 −0.1 mHigh 15:24 +0.6 mLow 22:26 −0.8 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 05:16 +0.6 mLow 11:03 −0.3 mHigh 16:47 +0.5 mLow 23:17 −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

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

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About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Ocean Park, Santa Monica

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

The spot faces SW (222°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (42°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 74). 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 intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Monica, 2.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 3 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$1,070–US$1,940 each

about US$1,070–US$1,940 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 30 October 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to LAX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$248–US$516
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$27–US$40
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout US$1,070–US$1,940

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

Closest

Santa Monica

4 min by car · 83 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 83 places to stay in Santa Monica · Booking.com

About Santa Monica its beds, food and every spot near it

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 6h 35m

About 6h 35m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → LAX, direct, then 30 min by road

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

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