Shark park, United States
No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Goleta, is 71 km away. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 70 km.
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About Shark park
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (320°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (140°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and May, with about 1 good days in 7; in April, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Goleta, is 71 km away. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 70 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.
Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 7 h 55 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 30 from the airport to Shark park.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Goleta, is 71 km away. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 70 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Shark park · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Shark park · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Shark park on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 52, good | 4 ft9 s | 239kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 15, poor | 5 ft10 s | 415kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 19 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 21, poor | 5 ft8 s | 228kJ | wind from the north-west, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 27, poor | 6 ft9 s | 506kJ | offshorewind from the south, 12 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 26, poor | 4 ft8 s | 166kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 13, poor | 4 ft7 s | 156kJ | wind from the north-west, 23 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 45, fair | 5 ft6 s | 156kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 51, good | 4 ft7 s | 128kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 57, good | 4 ft7 s | 175kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 14, poor | 6 ft8 s | 331kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 12 knots | 20°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. 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 30 by road. About 7h 55 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 30 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Shark park
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Shark park
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Shark park
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 30 by road. About 7h 55 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.
| 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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