santa cruz island, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Port Hueneme, 45 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 53 km.

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About santa cruz island

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

The spot faces S (168°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (348°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 6). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 14°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Port Hueneme, 45 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 53 km.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 7 h 40 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 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 15 from the airport to santa cruz island.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Port Hueneme, 45 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 53 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in santa cruz island · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in santa cruz island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

santa cruz island on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

santa cruz island 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 santa cruz island, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	41, fair	2 ft12 shollow	137kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore	24°C
Mon 19Oct	44, fair	3 ft9 shollow	170kJ	wind from the north-west, 6 knots, offshore	22°C
Tue 20Oct	39, fair	3 ft11 shollow	157kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 7 knots	20°C
Wed 21Oct	33, too small	3 ft10 shollow	163kJ	wind from the east, 5 knots	18°C
Thu 22Oct	31, too small	2 ft9 shollow	87kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots	19°C
Fri 23Oct	28, too small	3 ft7 shollow	82kJ	wind from the north-west, 11 knots, offshore	19°C
Sat 24Oct	20, too small	2 ft9 shollow	51kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot	21°C
Sun 25Oct	18, too small	1 ft11 shollow	39kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots	21°C
Mon 26Oct	7, too small	1 ft9 shollow	25kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 13 knots	18°C
Tue 27Oct	21, too small	2 ft8 shollow	36kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore	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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 15 by road. About 7h 40 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf santa cruz island
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf santa cruz island
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf santa cruz island
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 15 by road. About 7h 40 door to door

Rough cost

About £745–£1,385 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
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
Food	7 days eating out	£260–£480
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£115–£190
Total		£745–£1,385

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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