Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is an SSE-facing beach break in California, United States. It picks up swell from WSW to W, and land, islands, reefs or shallow banks block about 85% of the directions it faces. Offshore wind here blows from the NNW: light winds or NNW breezes usually mean the cleanest surf, while SSE onshores chop it up.

Rare slot: the Anacapa Passage lets in swell from 156.8° (SSE) and nothing either side. It only lines up when a storm sits in that exact direction, more than 46 km out. How slot swells work

Break

Beach

Faces

SSE (160°)

Best swell

WSW to W (244°–274°) or SW (233°–235°), 9 s or longer

Best wind

WNW to NNE offshore, or glassy

Best surf height

3–6 ft at the beach

Swell window

WSW to W (244° to 273.5°)

Rare slot

Anacapa Passage, 156.8° SSE

Offshore wind

NNW

Tide

NOAA station 9411340

Wave buoy

EAST SANTA BARBARA - 12NM Southwest of Santa Barbara, CA · 23 km away

Cams

1