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Hippo Rock, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Oceano

Watch this spot We email you when Hippo Rock is worth the trip.

GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC
California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Hippo Rock

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

The spot faces W (252°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (72°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 51). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September, November and December, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Oceano, 2.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 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. 2 h 05 from the airport to Hippo Rock.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in OceanoAd

    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 Oceano · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Oceano · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Hippo Rock on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct254 ft9 ssoft211kJ25°C
Mon 19Oct274 ft10 ssoft311kJ23°C
Tue 20Oct315 ft11 ssoft596kJ19°C
Wed 21Oct345 ft10 ssoft470kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct153 ft8 smushy103kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct225 ft6 smushy148kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct335 ft7 smushy217kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct204 ft6 smushy103kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct294 ft8 smushy183kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct335 ft7 smushy233kJ22°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 05 by road. About 8h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Hippo Rock

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Hippo Rock

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Hippo Rock

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 35 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 05 by road. About 8h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Oceano each day: Hippo Rock, Oceano.

The trip from Oceano, 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 Oceano

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.