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Avila - Fat Cats, United States

Stay in Avila Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Avila Beach

All 15 on Avila Beach's map

Watch this spot We email you when Avila - Fat Cats is worth the trip.

Avila Beach 10-12-07
Avila Beach, the nearest town, 3 km away. Photo: Scooterboss, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Avila - Fat Cats

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (175°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (355°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. 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). The town to stay in is Avila Beach, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 8 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SBA, direct.

    See flights ORD → SBA · Skyscanner from about £220 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 20 from the airport to Avila - Fat Cats.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Avila BeachAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Avila Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Avila Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Avila - Fat Cats on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Avila - Fat Cats does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct244 ft9 s268kJ25°C
Mon 19Oct264 ft10 s311kJ20°C
Tue 20Oct315 ft11 s596kJ19°C
Wed 21Oct255 ft10 s470kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct143 ft7 s86kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct225 ft6 s148kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct295 ft7 s199kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct164 ft6 s103kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct244 ft8 s183kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct295 ft7 s233kJ22°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 20 by road. About 8h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Avila - Fat Cats

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Avila - Fat Cats

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 20 by road. About 8h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Avila Beach each day: Avila Beach - Waters point, Avila - Fat Cats, Sand Spit - Port San Luis.

The trip from Avila Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,015–£1,840 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£220–£460
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,015–£1,840

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Avila Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.