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Sand Spit, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Morro Bay

  • Morro Bay Kite spot · 0.5 km from Morro Bay
  • The Pit Surf spot · 1.7 km from Morro Bay
  • Widdows Surf spot · 1.7 km from Morro Bay
  • Corners Surf spot · 1.8 km from Morro Bay
  • A-Beach Surf spot · 4.5 km from Morro Bay
  • Hazard Canyon Surf spot · 9 km from Morro Bay
  • Cayucos Surf spot · 9.4 km from Morro Bay
  • Left Spot Surf spot · 9.9 km from Morro Bay

All 15 on Morro Bay's map

Watch this spot We email you when Sand Spit is worth the trip.

Morro Bay City 1
Morro Bay, the nearest town, 7 km away. Photo: Kjkolb, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

About Sand Spit

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

The spot faces W (272°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (92°). 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 700 m out (1 in 71). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in May, 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 3 good days in 7; in January and April, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Morro Bay, 7.3 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 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 9 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. 2 h 40 from the airport to Sand Spit.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Morro BayAd

    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 Morro Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Morro Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sand Spit 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

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct594 ft9 ssoft260kJ25°C
Mon 19Oct435 ft10 ssoft396kJ18°C
Tue 20Oct464 ft10 ssoft297kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct414 ft9 ssoft278kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct453 ft8 smushy116kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct455 ft6 smushy127kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct465 ft7 smushy247kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct494 ft6 smushy110kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct414 ft7 smushy190kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct495 ft7 smushy249kJ17°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 2h 40 by road. About 9h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Sand Spit

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Sand Spit

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Hazard Canyon

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

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Corners

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf The Pit

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 40 by road. About 9h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Morro Bay each day: A-Beach, Corners, Hazard Canyon, Left Spot, Sand Spit, The Pit, Widdows.

The trip from Morro Bay, 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 Morro Bay

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.