Santa Clara Rivermouth, United States
Also within 20 km of Ventura
- Ventura Point Surf spot · 0 km from Ventura
- Ventura Kite spot · 0.3 km from Ventura
- Ventura Overhead Surf spot · 3.2 km from Ventura
- Emma Wood Surf spot · 3.4 km from Ventura
- Solimar Reef Surf spot · 6.4 km from Ventura
- Chocoos Surf spot · 7.8 km from Ventura
- Mondos Surf spot · 8.9 km from Ventura
- Faria Surf spot · 9.7 km from Ventura
Watch this spot We email you when Santa Clara Rivermouth is worth the trip.

About Santa Clara Rivermouth
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (235°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (55°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 66). 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 20°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 4 good days in 7; in August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ventura, 6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 7 h 45 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. 1 h 20 from the airport to Santa Clara Rivermouth.
Accommodation.
Stay in VenturaAd
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 Ventura (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Ventura 11 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 32 places to stay · where Santa Clara Rivermouth stays
Places to stay in Ventura · Booking.com AdOxnard 12 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 5 places to stay
Places to stay in Oxnard · Booking.com AdPort Hueneme 20 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 7 places to stay
Places to stay in Port Hueneme · Booking.com AdCarpinteria 53 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 17 places to stay
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Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Ventura · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Ventura · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Santa Clara Rivermouth on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Santa Clara Rivermouth 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 27, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling | 75kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 47, fair | 3 ft8 ssoft | 106kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 30, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft | 81kJ | offshorewind from the east, 2 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 44, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft | 143kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 26, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft | 52kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 42, fair | 3 ft5 smushy | 46kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 20, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 14kJ | wind from the north, 1 knot | 23°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 16, too small | 1 ft8 ssoft | 21kJ | wind from the west, 0 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 16, too small | 1 ft9 scrumbling | 21kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 29, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 18kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 24°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 20 by road. About 7h 45 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Solimar Reef
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctSurf Santa Clara Rivermouth
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 20 by road. About 7h 45 door to door
The plan picks the best of 9 spots near Ventura each day: Chocoos, Emma Wood, Faria, Mondos, Pitas Point, Santa Clara Rivermouth, Solimar Reef, Ventura Overhead, Ventura Point.
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.
| 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £115–£190 |
| 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 | £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 Ventura
- The Habit Burger GrillBurger · in the centre
- Banzai MarinaJapanese · 0.1 km from the centre
- Bombay Bar and GrillBar and grill · 0.1 km from the centre
- Brooks RestaurantAmerican · 0.1 km from the centre
- Hong Kong INNAsian fusion · 0.1 km from the centre
- PizzaMan Dan'sPizza · 0.1 km from 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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