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Pismo Beach, 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

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

About Pismo Beach

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

The spot faces SW (232°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (52°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 44). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually August and September, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pismo Beach, 0 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

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 35 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 10 from the airport to Pismo Beach.

    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

Pismo Beach 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

Pismo Beach 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 19Oct514 ft11 scrumbling347kJ23°C
Tue 20Oct504 ft8 smushy155kJ19°C
Wed 21Oct525 ft9 ssoft349kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct313 ft8 smushy99kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct385 ft6 smushy133kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct514 ft7 smushy169kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct232 ft9 scrumbling62kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct323 ft7 smushy77kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct162 ft6 smushy25kJ22°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 today, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 10 by road. About 8h 35 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 Sunset Palisades

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Sunset Palisades

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Pismo Beach

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 2h 10 by road. About 8h 35 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.