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Sunset Palisades, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Pismo Beach

All 10 on Pismo Beach's map

Watch this spot We email you when Sunset Palisades is worth the trip.

GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC
California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Sunset Palisades

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

The spot faces SW (207°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (27°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 60). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Pismo Beach, 6.3 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 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 8 h 40 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 20 from the airport to Sunset Palisades.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Pismo BeachAd

    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 Pismo Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Pismo Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sunset Palisades 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 18Oct344 ft9 ssoft234kJ28°C
Mon 19Oct384 ft9 ssoft244kJ23°C
Tue 20Oct404 ft10 ssoft374kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct444 ft9 ssoft321kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct223 ft7 smushy88kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct355 ft6 smushy126kJ23°C
Sat 24Oct434 ft7 smushy173kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct223 ft6 smushy84kJ20°C
Mon 26Oct324 ft7 smushy142kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct475 ft7 smushy194kJ19°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 20 by road. About 8h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 20 by road. About 8h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Pismo Beach each day: Pismo Beach, Sewers, St. Annes, Sunset Palisades.

The trip from Pismo Beach, 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 Pismo Beach

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.