Staying Home Sucks, home

Skunk Point

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

17Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Sat 7: too small (3 ft swell at 12 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 18 out of 100

Swell
3 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
190kJ
Wind
SE 4 kn
Temp
20°C

Tue 3 · 8 out of 100

Swell
2 ft14 shollow
Energy
145kJ
Wind
WNW 13 kn
Temp
19°C

Wed 4 · 6 out of 100

Swell
2 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
126kJ
Wind
NW 17 kn
Temp
20°C

Thu 5 · 8 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
60kJ
Wind
N 3 kn
Temp
22°C

Fri 6 · 16 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
165kJ
Wind
NNW 5 kn
Temp
23°C

Sat 7 · 27 out of 100

Swell
3 ft12 scrumbling
Energy
285kJ
Wind
E 3 kn
Temp
25°C

Sun 8 · 19 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
172kJ
Wind
NNE 1 kn
Temp
23°C

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

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 218, too small
  2. Tue 38, too small
  3. Wed 46, too small
  4. Thu 58, too small
  5. Fri 616, too small
  6. Sat 727, too small
  7. Sun 819, too small
  8. Mon 920, too small
  9. Tue 1011, too small
  10. Wed 1110, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
  • Offshore: SWwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 5–20 ftof swell
  • Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number

Skunk Point does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Skunk Point, each day
DayScorefor ExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov18, too small3 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)190kJwind from the south-east, 4 knots20°C
Tue 3Nov8, too small2 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)145kJwind from the west-north-west, 13 knots19°C
Wed 4Nov6, too small2 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)126kJwind from the north-west, 17 knots20°C
Thu 5Nov8, too small2 ft12 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)60kJwind from the north, 3 knots22°C
Fri 6Nov16, too small3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)165kJwind from the north-north-west, 5 knots23°C
Sat 7Nov27, too small3 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)285kJwind from the east, 3 knots25°C
Sun 8Nov19, too small3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)172kJwind from the north-north-east, 1 knot23°C
Mon 9Nov20, too small3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)221kJwind from the south-west, 4 knots, offshore22°C
Tue 10Nov11, too small3 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)134kJwind from the north-west, 6 knots20°C
Wed 11Nov10, too small3 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.)199kJwind from the north-west, 16 knots20°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 04:49 +0.4 mLow 10:04 −0.1 mHigh 15:37 +0.5 mLow 22:39 −0.8 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 05:29 +0.6 mLow 11:20 −0.3 mHigh 16:59 +0.5 mLow 23:29 −0.8 m
  • Wed 4 NovHigh 06:04 +0.7 mLow 12:18 −0.5 mHigh 18:08 +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 intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

Surf spot

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About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Skunk Point

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

The spot faces NE (54°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (234°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 35). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). No town nearby. Nearest beds: Isla Vista, 49 km (about 1h 30m by car). Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 51 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.

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$899–US$1,660 each

about US$899–US$1,660 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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
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$899–US$1,660

No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: nearest beds 49 km away

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

No town nearby

Nearest beds: Isla Vista, 49 km (about 1h 30m by car). Nearest airport: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 51 km.

See places to stay near Isla Vista, 49 km away · Booking.com

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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