Skunk Point, United States
No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Goleta, is 52 km away. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 51 km.
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About Skunk Point
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NE (54°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (234°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 35). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Goleta, is 52 km away. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 51 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 7 h 35 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 10 from the airport to Skunk Point.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Goleta, is 52 km away. Nearest airport: SBA (SBA), 51 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Skunk Point · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Skunk Point · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Skunk Point on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19Oct | 13, too small | 3 ft13 scrumbling | 218kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 12, too small | 3 ft12 scrumbling | 172kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 10 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 11, too small | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 151kJ | wind from the south, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling | 71kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 4, too small | 2 ft13 shollow | 118kJ | wind from the north-west, 20 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 51kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft12 shollow | 61kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 7, too small | 1 ft11 shollow | 43kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 23°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 5, too small | 1 ft10 shollow | 33kJ | offshorewind from the west, 8 knots, offshore | 21°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 expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 10 by road. About 7h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SBA, then 1h 10 by road. About 7h 35 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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