Ponytails
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
21Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 4 ft swell at 13 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 371kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,378kJ
- Wind
- NNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,133kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 396kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,218kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,427kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,075kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 279, good
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 526, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
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 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Nov3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Ponytails does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 4 ft13 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 371kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft14 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 1,378kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,133kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 26, poor | 5 ft10 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 396kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,218kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 2,427kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 1,075kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,569kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 999kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,720kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:16 +0.5 mLow 10:32 −0.1 mHigh 16:01 +0.5 mLow 23:04 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:55 +0.6 mLow 11:46 −0.3 mHigh 17:23 +0.5 mLow 23:54 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:30 +0.7 mLow 12:45 −0.5 mHigh 18:35 +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 Nov
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
- Feb2of 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
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Ponytails 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
- Boners 1.7 km away
- Cliffs 2.7 km away
- Leffingwell Landing 3.1 km away
- Moonstone 3.1 km away
- Moonstone beach 3.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ponytails
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (226°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (46°). It is sheltered 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 450 m out (1 in 43). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cambria, 6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,210–US$2,170 each
about US$1,210–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
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$262–US$537 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,210–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: 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 5 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About San Simeon its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Cambria on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 28 places to stay
- Beds in Cayucos on Booking.com
about 50 min by car · 19 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 9h 05m
About 9h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 2h 35m by road
Flights ORD → MRY 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.