The Pit
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
43Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 3 ft swell at 17 s
Mon 2 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft17 shollow
- Energy
- 573kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 1,059kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 974kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 358kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 979kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 1,359kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 572kJ
- Wind
- SW 2 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 141, poor
- Mon 267, good
- Tue 363, good
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 557, fair
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 835, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Jul–Oct4 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
The Pit does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 41, poor | 3 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 306kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 67, good | 3 ft17 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 573kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 63, good | 5 ft14 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,059kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 974kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 57, fair | 6 ft8 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 358kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft13 shollow8 ft at break (est.) | 979kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 1,359kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 35, poor | 6 ft10 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 572kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,017kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 841kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 19°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 04:24 +0.3 mLow 08:49 +0.1 mHigh 14:29 +0.6 mLow 22:04 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:12 +0.5 mLow 10:27 −0.1 mHigh 15:58 +0.6 mLow 23:01 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:52 +0.6 mLow 11:42 −0.3 mHigh 17:20 +0.5 mLow 23:51 −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.
Best time to go
best Jul–Oct
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
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 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, its town, photos
The Pit 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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Photos of The Pit
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Pit
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (268°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (88°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in May, 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 months are usually July, August, September and October, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Morro Bay, 1.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot, 1 dive site and 1 mountain bike area.
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$1,200–US$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 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 30 October 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$529 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,160 |
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
3 min by car · 62 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Morro Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Cuesta By The Sea on Booking.com
11 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Los Osos on Booking.com
13 min by car · 4 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 9h 10m
About 9h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 2h 45m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
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.