Surf spot

Sandspit

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

Country: USA, California, Santa Barbara
Coordinates: 34.4050, -119.6883

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)	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	1.1	1.1	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.9	0.8
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	WNW	W	SW	W	W	W	W	W	W	WNW	WNW	W	W	W	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	W	WNW
Wave period (s)	4.5	4.8	5.3	5.8	6.3	6.1	5.8	6	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.1	6	5.8	6	6.2	6.3	6.5	6.5	6.6	6.2	6	6	5.8	5.8	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.6	5.5	4.5	5.3	5.5	5.7	6	5.5	7.5	4.2	3.8	3.9	4	4	4.1	4.3	4.5	4.2	4.3	4.5	4.7	5.2	5.3	5.1	4.9	4.3	4.7
Wave energy (kJ)	25	29	40	59	93	97	112	120	107	105	98	86	71	66	67	76	73	79	85	79	74	57	48	48	42	34	34	29	26	16	13	11	18	18	16	15	14	16	17	12	11	9	8	8	5	11	24	24	26	26	26	27	23	21	28	28
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	SCross	SCross	SECross-on	EGlassy	WNWGlassy	NGlassy	NGlassy	NGlassy	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	EGlassy	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEGlassy	SCross	SCross	SCross	SEGlassy	ESEGlassy	ESEGlassy	EOnshore	ESECross-on	SCross	SSECross	SWCross-off	WOffshore	WNWGlassy	SEGlassy	ENEGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWOffshore	NNEGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNWGlassy	NGlassy	WSWGlassy	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	EOnshore	EGlassy	WGlassy	NWGlassy	SSWGlassy	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	EOnshore	SSWGlassy

Sandspit (Santa Barbara, California, USA) is a classic, exposed beachbreak/point-style surf spot located near the Santa Barbara Harbor. It’s known for its shifting sandbars, which can create very hollow, punchy waves when conditions line up. Because it sits near the entrance to the harbor, it can be influenced by jetties, currents, and changing sand movement, so the wave quality can vary a lot from day to day and season to season.

What it’s like

Wave type: Mostly beachbreak with occasional shaped sections from the sandbars
Best swell: Generally handles west to northwest swells well
Wind: Likes light offshore to calm winds; strong onshores can make it messy
Tides: Often best on mid to lower tide, though this depends on sand placement
Skill level: Can be powerful and shallow, so it’s better suited to intermediate to advanced surfers when it’s working well

Conditions and vibe

Sandspit can produce fast, wedgy, and occasionally barreling waves, especially after the right swell and sand movement. It’s often more consistent than many nearby spots because of the harbor-adjacent setup, but that same geography also means it can be crowded when conditions are good. The wave can break hard and close to shore, so local knowledge is valuable.

Hazards

Strong currents
Crowds
Shallow sandbars
Shifting conditions
Harbor structures and boat traffic nearby

Best for

Surfers looking for a heavier, more performance-oriented wave
Those who are comfortable reading changing beachbreak conditions
Advanced shortboarders when the sandbars are lined up