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Sea Cliff, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Carpinteria

All 21 on Carpinteria's map

Watch this spot We email you when Sea Cliff is worth the trip.

El Estero, Carpinteria Dec 68
Carpinteria, the nearest town, 11 km away. Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife from Sacramento, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Sea Cliff

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

The spot faces SW (213°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (33°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 61). 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 September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in April and May, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carpinteria. Within 5 km we also list 6 surf spots.

Water about 19°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 7 h 25 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 from the airport to Sea Cliff.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Carpinteria, 11 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Sea Cliff: 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 Carpinteria, 11 km away 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 Carpinteria · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Carpinteria · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sea Cliff on Google Maps · Directions

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

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct562 ft10 scrumbling64kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct443 ft8 ssoft112kJ25°C
Tue 20Oct582 ft9 ssoft72kJ23°C
Wed 21Oct523 ft9 ssoft113kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct522 ft8 smushy46kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct483 ft5 smushy36kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct392 ft5 smushy11kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct311 ft9 scrumbling20kJ24°C
Mon 26Oct271 ft8 scrumbling19kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct572 ft5 smushy24kJ24°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 beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h by road. About 7h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Sea Cliff

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 2 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Sea Cliff

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Sea Cliff

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 2 ft at 8 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Sea Cliff

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Sea Cliff

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 2 ft at 5 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h by road. About 7h 25 door to door

The trip from Carpinteria, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £970–£1,765 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
Taxiairport and back, shared£70–£115
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£970–£1,765

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

Places to eat near Carpinteria

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

Nearest beds: Carpinteria, 11 km (about 20 min by car) · 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.