Back to results

Purisima Point Peak, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Oceano

All 9 on Oceano's map

Watch this spot We email you when Purisima Point Peak is worth the trip.

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

About Purisima Point Peak

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

The spot faces W (256°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (76°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 58). 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 month is usually September, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Oceano.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. 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 8 h 05 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 45 from the airport to Purisima Point Peak.

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Oceano, 39 km (about 1h 10 by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Purisima Point Peak: 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 Oceano, 39 km away (ad) 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.

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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

Forecast

Purisima Point Peak 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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Purisima Point Peak, each day
DayScorefor Inter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct56, good4 ft9 ssoft207kJwind from the east, 5 knots, offshore22°C
Mon 19Oct24, poor4 ft11 smushy369kJwind from the north-north-west, 12 knots18°C
Tue 20Oct41, fair4 ft11 ssoft274kJwind from the north-north-west, 3 knots18°C
Wed 21Oct31, poor5 ft10 ssoft507kJwind from the south-east, 7 knots18°C
Thu 22Oct38, fair3 ft8 smushy124kJwind from the north-north-west, 3 knots19°C
Fri 23Oct21, poor5 ft6 smushy182kJwind from the north, 10 knots18°C
Sat 24Oct41, fair5 ft7 smushy256kJwind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore20°C
Sun 25Oct56, good4 ft7 smushy121kJwind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore22°C
Mon 26Oct56, good4 ft8 smushy229kJwind from the west-south-west, 4 knots22°C
Tue 27Oct24, poor5 ft7 smushy266kJwind from the west, 6 knots20°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 45 by road. About 8h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Purisima Point Peak

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Purisima Point Peak

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (14 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Purisima Point Peak

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Purisima Point Peak

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Purisima Point Peak

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 45 by road. About 8h 05 door to door

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.

Rough cost per person for this trip
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

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