.jpg){kind=link}
Shelves
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 5 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 485kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 526kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 287kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 534kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 636kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 415kJ
- Wind
- SW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 588kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 212, too small
- Tue 315, too small
- Wed 447, fair
- Thu 515, too small
- Fri 634, too small
- Sat 750, fair
- Sun 828, too small
- Mon 940, too small
- Tue 1038, too small
- Wed 1151, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Shelves 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 | 12, too small | 2 ft17 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 149kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 15, too small | 4 ft14 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 485kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 3 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 47, fair | 6 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 526kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 15, too small | 5 ft8 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 287kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 34, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 534kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 50, fair | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 636kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, too small | 4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 415kJ | wind from the south-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 40, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 588kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 38, too small | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 536kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 51, fair | 5 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 674kJ | wind from the south, 0 knots | 25°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 04:50 +0.4 mLow 10:04 −0.1 mHigh 15:39 +0.6 mLow 22:41 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:30 +0.6 mLow 11:22 −0.3 mHigh 17:01 +0.5 mLow 23:31 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:06 +0.7 mLow 12:20 −0.5 mHigh 18:10 +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
Shelves 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Live webcam
press to load it
Live webcam
Near Shelves, 4 km away
Near Shelves, 4 km away
Webcams belong to their owners. Nothing from the webcam's site loads until you press the button.
More surf near here
5 places
- More Mesa 1 km away
- Hope Ranch 2.5 km away
- Goleta Rock 3.5 km away
- Campus Point 4.4 km away
- Depressions 4.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shelves
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (182°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (2°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 76). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Santa Barbara, 8.7 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
Water about 17°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$1,080–US$1,970 each
about US$1,080–US$1,970 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$34–US$54 |
| 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$1,080–US$1,970 |
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 10 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Goleta its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Isla Vista on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 18 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 93 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 7h
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA 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.