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Big Drakes, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Goleta

All 24 on Goleta's map

Watch this spot We email you when Big Drakes is worth the trip.

Aerial-GoletaArea
Goleta, the nearest town, 47 km away. Photo: John Wiley User:Jw4nvc - Santa Barbara, California, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Big Drakes

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

The spot faces S (174°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (354°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–15 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). 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 17°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Goleta. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h 30 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. 1 h 05 from the airport to Big Drakes.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Goleta, 47 km (about 1h 25 by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Big Drakes: plan on the drive each day you surf.

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

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

    See all places to stay in Goleta, 47 km away 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 Goleta · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Goleta · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Big Drakes on Google Maps · Directions

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Live webcam

In Goleta, the nearest town, 47 km away

Open the webcam on hpwren.ucsd.edu

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Forecast

Big Drakes does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct394 ft9 scrumbling231kJ25°C
Mon 19Oct554 ft9 scrumbling290kJ24°C
Tue 20Oct464 ft10 scrumbling356kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct324 ft10 smushy327kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct303 ft8 smushy109kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct394 ft6 smushy124kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct454 ft7 smushy131kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct283 ft7 smushy79kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct353 ft7 smushy107kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct464 ft7 smushy153kJ23°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. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. 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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 05 by road. About 7h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Big Drakes

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Big Drakes

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (14 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Big Drakes

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Big Drakes

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Big Drakes

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 1 kn (1 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 05 by road. About 7h 30 door to door

The trip from Goleta, 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 Goleta

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

Nearest beds: Goleta, 47 km (about 1h 25 by car) · 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.