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Ocean Park, Santa Monica
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 3 ft swell at 8 s
Tue 3 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 146kJ
- Wind
- NNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 81kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 107kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 342, too small
- Wed 434, too small
- Thu 543, poor
- Fri 625, too small
- Sat 731, too small
- Sun 823, too small
- Mon 923, too small
- Tue 1019, too small
- Wed 1121, too small
- Thu 1218, 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
Ocean Park, Santa Monica does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 42, too small | 3 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 146kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 81kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 43, poor | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 107kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 25, too small | 1 ft13 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 23, too small | 1 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 23, too small | 1 ft12 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, too small | 1 ft12 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 21, too small | 1 ft12 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 36kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 18, too small | 1 ft14 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 36kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 24°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 05:16 +0.6 mLow 11:03 −0.3 mHigh 16:47 +0.5 mLow 23:17 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:51 +0.7 mLow 12:01 −0.5 mHigh 17:55 +0.5 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 00:00 −0.7 mHigh 06:24 +0.8 mLow 12:50 −0.7 mHigh 18:53 +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.
Best time to go
best in Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 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
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
Ocean Park, Santa Monica 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Bay Street, Santa Monica 0.8 km away
- Santa Monica - Samo 20 0.8 km away
- Venice - Rose Avenue 0.8 km away
- Venice Breakwater 1.8 km away
- Venice Pier 2.9 km away
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 (6 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 3 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to LAX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$40 |
| 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$241 |
| Total | about 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
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6 min by car · 83 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Santa Monica its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Inglewood on Booking.com
17 min by car · 37 places to stay
- Beds in El Segundo on Booking.com
19 min by car · 14 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 3 November 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 35m
About 6h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → LAX, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → LAX 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.