Government Point Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Santa Barbara, USA)

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- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Government Point Surf Guide

Government Point in Santa Barbara is a fairly exposed beach and reef break that has reasonably consistent surf and can work at any time of the year. The best wind direction is from the north. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the southwest. It very rarely gets crowded here. Hazards include rips and rocks.

Government Point Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach and reef	4	fairly consistent	13.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Government Point:

The best conditions reported for surf at Government Point occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Government Point (for consistent clean waves)?

septemberBest Season: summer

The best time of year for surfing Government Point with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of September. Clean surfable waves are typically found 18% of the time in September while 6% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 76% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

18%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

76%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Government Point Location Map

Interactive Government Point 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 Government Point is Vandenberg Afb (Lompoc) Airport (VBG) in USA, 34 km (21 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Government Point is Point Mugu Nas Airport (NTD), also in USA, 128 km (80 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Government Point Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Sunday, 3 May 2026, 23:51 Local Time

m, °C	Sun		Mon
ft, °F	8PM	11PM	2AM	5AM
Wave (m)	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW
Period (s)	11	16	16	16
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	off	off	cross- off

What does Government Point look like?

Latest photos from Government Point. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Mike Credit: Steven

Tides at Government Point

Current tide and informaton

For Cojo, 2 km from Government Point.

Next High Water: 01:35pm | 1.39m

Next Low Water: 06:33am | 0.33m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Government Point Sea Temperature

The water temperature (13.2 °C) at Government Point is quite cool. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good sealed spring wetsuit. Some surfers would prefer to wear gloves and boots too. Effective windchill factor of (14.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, neoprene gloves and boots.

Current Temp*: 13.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

View Sea Temp Map

Swell History at Government Point

Surf stats for Government Point, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Average Swell

View Swell Statistics

Wind History at Government Point

Wind stats for Government Point, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Average Wind

View Wind Statistics

Government Point Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings

Based on 1 vote.

Overall:4.0
Quality on a good day:4.0
Consistency of Surf:3.0
Difficulty Level:4.0
Crowds:4.0
...

See all 18 ratings

Review

Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.

N/A from United States

“Shark attack here again, Oct 23rd 2012. Previous attack summer/fall 2010... just FYI”

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