Surf spot

Fernald Point

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

Country: USA, California, Santa Barbara
Coordinates: 34.4194, -119.6196

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)	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.7	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.5
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	WNW	WNW	WNW	SSW	S	S	S	S	S	W	W
Wave period (s)	4.4	4.7	5.8	4.6	4.6	5.3	4.4	4.7	4.8	4.8	5	4.8	5.6	5.3	5.1	4.7	4.8	5.2	5.8	6.2	5.8	5.5	5.4	5.8	6.1	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.3	5.8	5.6	5.8	6.3	6.6	6.5	6.8	6.7	5.8	4.9	4.5	4.5	4.3	4.3	5.4	6.2	7.3	7.4	8.6	10.3	10.3	10.1	10	9.9	10.7	6.4	6.2
Wave energy (kJ)	16	17	22	13	12	19	19	26	24	18	16	16	17	15	25	42	42	51	66	79	69	75	84	99	100	102	89	73	69	54	55	59	72	77	76	67	57	34	17	12	8	7	6	8	8	7	7	7	10	12	12	12	11	13	16	18
Wind speed (km/h)	2.3	8.7	5.4	9	11.3	9.2	5.8	2.6	3.8	7.2	5.6	9.1	9.7	7.1	6.1	2.3	1.5	1.8	3.1	9.3	9.6	13	8	4.6	1.3	3.4	2.5	8.9	10.5	7.4	10.1	9	6.2	7.1	3.1	8.6	10.5	7.9	1.5	4.5	8.8	6.3	3.6	9.3	9.4	9.9	3.4	3.5	2.9	2.6	2.6	9.4	9.5	7.4	1.4	3
Wind direction	ESEGlassy	ESECross-on	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	ECross-on	SEGlassy	ESEGlassy	ECross-on	SEOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	ENECross	SEGlassy	SEGlassy	NEGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SEOnshore	ECross	WNWGlassy	NWGlassy	ENEGlassy	SEGlassy	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	ECross-on	ECross-on	ECross	ESECross-on	SEGlassy	SSWCross-on	SOnshore	SWCross-on	NEGlassy	ENEGlassy	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	SEGlassy	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	WSWCross	WNWGlassy	ENEGlassy	ENEGlassy	ENEGlassy	SEGlassy	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	EGlassy	ENEGlassy

Fernald Point is a scenic Santa Barbara surf spot located along the Mesa coastline in Southern California. It sits near a stretch of coastline with rocky points, reefy sections, and beach access nearby, giving it a more localized, point-break feel than a typical open beach break.

Surf character

Wave type: Mostly a reef/point-style wave with some neighboring beach break influence
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, depending on swell and conditions
Direction: Tends to work best on S and SW swells
Wind: Usually prefers light offshore or calm morning winds
Tide: Can be tide-sensitive, with conditions changing a lot depending on tide level

What it’s like

Fernald Point can offer clean, lined-up waves when a solid swell hits the Santa Barbara coast. It’s known more for quality shape and scenic surroundings than for heavy or powerful surf. On the right day, it can produce long, enjoyable rides with a mellow but sometimes tricky setup due to the rocky bottom and local geography.

Hazards and considerations

Rocky reef / shallow sections
Limited takeoff zones
Crowds and localism can be factors
Can be finicky and not work consistently

Overall vibe

Fernald Point is a beautiful, somewhat under-the-radar Santa Barbara surf spot that can be excellent when all the ingredients line up. It’s not usually the easiest or most forgiving wave, but it can be a rewarding session for surfers who know the area and are comfortable with reefy, tide-dependent conditions.