El Capitan Surf Forecast and Surf Reports
(Santa Barbara, USA)
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El Capitan Surf Guide
El Capitan in Santa Barbara is a fairly exposed reef and point break that has inconsistent surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. Offshore winds blow from the north. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the best swell direction is from the west. Often Crowded. Rocks are a hazard.
El Capitan Spot Info
| Type: | Rating: |
|---|---|
 Reef and point |  2.4 |
| Reliability: | Todays Sea Temp*: |
| inconsistent | 13.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite |
Surfing El Capitan:
The best conditions reported for surf at El Capitan occur when a West swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.
What's the best time of year to surf El Capitan (for consistent clean waves)?
Explore El Capitan Location Map
Interactive El Capitan surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to El Capitan is Vandenberg Afb (Lompoc) Airport (VBG) in USA, 59 km (37 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to El Capitan is Point Mugu Nas Airport (NTD), also in USA, 91 km (57 miles) away.
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Monday, 6 February 2023, 23:59 Local Time
| Tuesday 07 | ||||
| 1AM | 4AM | 7AM | 10AM | |
| Wave (m) | ||||
| Period (s) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Wind (km/h) | ||||
| Wind State | off | off | off | glass |
Tides at El Capitan
| NEXT | IS AT (local time) | remaining |
|---|---|---|
| high tide | ||
| low tide |
Swell History at El Capitan
Surf stats for El Capitan, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.
Wind History at El Capitan
Wind stats for El Capitan, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.
Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:
Discover surf breaks near El Capitan. Click below to view there surf guides.
Point
Beach and reef
ReefWave Buoys Nearest To El Capitan:
- Closest Wave BuoyEast Santa Barbara Buoy18 mi
- Second closest Wave BuoySanta Barbara Buoy28 mi
- Third closest Wave BuoyAnacapa Passage, CA39 mi
- Fourth closest Wave BuoyHarvest, CA43 mi
- Fifth closest Wave BuoySanta Maria Buoy55 mi
