Leadbetter, United States
Also within 20 km of Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Kite spot · 1.8 km from Santa Barbara
- Sandspit Surf spot · 2.3 km from Santa Barbara
- Lighthouse Surf spot · 3 km from Santa Barbara
- Mesa Lane Surf spot · 3.9 km from Santa Barbara
- Hendry's beach - arroyo burro Surf spot · 4.3 km from Santa Barbara
- Hammonds Reef Surf spot · 6 km from Santa Barbara
- Bone Yards Surf spot · 6.2 km from Santa Barbara
- Hope Ranch Surf spot · 6.3 km from Santa Barbara
Watch this spot We email you when Leadbetter is worth the trip.
About Leadbetter
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces S (170°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (350°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 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 14°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Santa Barbara, 2.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 6 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SBA, direct.
See flights ORD → SBA · Skyscanner from about £220 returnAdGetting there. 35 min from the airport to Leadbetter.
Accommodation.
Stay in Santa BarbaraAd
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 Santa Barbara (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Santa Barbara 4 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 93 places to stay · where Leadbetter stays
Places to stay in Santa Barbara · Booking.com AdGoleta 22 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 15 places to stay
Places to stay in Goleta · Booking.com AdCarpinteria 29 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 17 places to stay
Places to stay in Carpinteria · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Santa Barbara · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Santa Barbara · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Leadbetter on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft9 scrumbling | 124kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 20, too small | 4 ft8 ssoft | 171kJ | offshorewind from the north, 1 knot, offshore | 25°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 12, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 81kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 1 knot | 23°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 20, too small | 4 ft10 ssoft | 240kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 57kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft6 smushy | 67kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 43kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 27kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 34kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 12, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 47kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 18°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 35 min by road. About 6h 55 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 35 min by road. About 6h 55 door to door
The plan picks the best of 11 spots near Santa Barbara each day: Bone Yards, Fernald Point, Hammonds Reef, Hendry's beach - arroyo burro, Hope Ranch, Leadbetter, Lighthouse, Mesa Lane, Miramar Beach, Sandspit, Shelves.
Rough cost
About £925–£1,690 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| 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 | £220–£460 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £25–£40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £270–£455 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £925–£1,690 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Santa Barbara
- Aldo's Italian RestaurantItalian · in the centre
- EmbermillCaribbean · in the centre
- Indian Tandoori KingdomIndian · in the centre
- L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele Taverna and CafeItalian · in the centre
- LokumTurkish · in the centre
- PalazzioItalian · in the centre
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
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Where to stayAd
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