Surf spot

Carpinteria Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Carpinteria Beach in USA, California, Santa Barbara. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, Santa Barbara
Coordinates: 34.3916, -119.5220

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	0.9	0.9	0.8	1	1.1	1.2	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	1	1
Wave direction	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WNW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
Wave period (s)	4.5	4.8	5.5	5.9	6.2	6.2	6.3	6	6	6.3	6.4	6.3	6.3	6.3	6	6.1	6.2	6.4	6.6	6.7	6.7	6.5	6.4	6.3	5.6	6.2	6.2	6	6	6.4	6.2	5.3	5.5	5.8	6	6	5.9	6.8	5	4.1	4	4.2	4.2	4.3	4.5	4.8	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.8	5.1	5.5	5.5	5.5	4.8	4.8
Wave energy (kJ)	31	35	41	70	96	116	134	149	128	120	110	102	89	84	80	84	82	89	91	92	86	73	63	58	34	46	39	35	32	26	18	15	24	23	21	19	19	14	18	23	17	14	12	10	9	10	34	32	36	34	32	34	31	30	48	43
Wind speed (km/h)	2.3	1.1	2.3	10.1	9.5	9.1	2.5	3.1	3.3	4	0.7	9.4	10.5	6.9	4.4	5.9	7.6	5.8	2.3	9.8	13.6	9.1	2	1.1	2.6	7.2	7.7	10.8	12.2	8.4	7.3	3.9	1.3	1.9	2.7	9.2	9.8	10.1	0.8	2.9	1.5	2.5	1.9	9.5	11	7.9	7.3	2.5	1.8	3.3	1.9	8.8	10.2	8.2	7.6	2.1
Wind direction	WNWGlassy	ENEGlassy	SSEGlassy	SOnshore	SOnshore	SECross-on	EGlassy	WNWGlassy	NGlassy	NGlassy	NGlassy	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	EGlassy	ECross	ESECross-on	ECross	ENEGlassy	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SEGlassy	ESEGlassy	ESEGlassy	ECross	ESECross-on	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SWCross-on	WCross	WNWGlassy	SEGlassy	ENEGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	NNEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNWGlassy	NGlassy	WSWGlassy	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	ECross	EGlassy	WGlassy	NWGlassy	SSWGlassy	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	ECross	SSWGlassy

Carpinteria Beach is a mellow, scenic surf spot in Carpinteria, California, just south of Santa Barbara. It’s a classic Southern California beach break with a laid-back vibe and a beautiful setting backed by bluffs, the town, and the nearby Channel Islands offshore on clear days.

Surf character

Type: Mainly a beach break
Wave quality: Usually small to moderate and best for beginner to intermediate surfers
Consistency: More reliable in winter and during southwest or south swells, though it can pick up local wind swell too
Crowds: Can get busy when conditions are good, especially with longboarders and learners

Conditions

Best for: Longboarding, beginners, and casual sessions
Wave shape: Often softer, more forgiving waves rather than steep, powerful surf
Wind: Early mornings are usually cleaner; afternoon onshores can make it choppy
Tide: Can be tide-sensitive, with better shape depending on swell direction and sandbars

Vibe and setting

Carpinteria is known for its relaxed, family-friendly beach town atmosphere. The surf scene is generally friendly and low-key. The beach itself is wide and scenic, with an easygoing local feel and plenty of room to enjoy the ocean even when it’s not ideal for surfing.

Things to keep in mind

It’s not usually a heavy, advanced wave, so it’s less about performance surfing and more about fun, cruisy rides.
Conditions can change with shifting sandbars, so the quality of the break can vary a lot.
Be mindful of beachgoers, swimmers, and other surfers, especially during crowded summer days.