Tarpits Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.39° N 119.51° W

Tarpits Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tarpits sea temperature is
20.9°C
3.2° 

Tarpits surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Tarpits surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, S swell with 394 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period with SSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tarpits this week:

The surf forecast for Tarpits over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Tarpits in the next 16 days are 1.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sat 5th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 16s
Best Surf 8AM (Sat 5th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 16s
Most Powerful11PM (Sun 6th Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tarpits over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's ahead for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I gotta be honest with ya – it's a bit of a slow patch for Tarpits. The whole 16-day window is pretty lackluster, with a long stretch of poor conditions in the middle. The first real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until Sunday morning, September 6th, and even that's a modest offering.

Sunday the 6th is the one session that stands out. We're looking at a clean 3ft swell from the S, with a solid 13-second period. The wind is glassy – absolutely no wind, dead flat water – so the waves will be smooth as silk. The combined swell energy is moderate, coming in at 395. Tarpits is a beach and reef setup that's fairly consistent and handles a SW swell well, so morning should be your time. Just a heads up, it can get a bit of a crowd here sometimes, so get out there early.

After that Sunday morning, it's a tough watch. From Sunday afternoon on the 6th right through to Friday the 18th, it's mostly poor surf. The wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, the swell drops off to knee-high or smaller, and the wave comment is either "poor" or "marginal." There's a long gap of about 12 days where you're not gonna find anything worth paddling out for.

Now, late in the game, Friday the 18th afternoon brings a bit of a change. The swell jumps up to 5ft, coming from the WNW. That's the biggest swell in the whole forecast. But the period is a short, choppy 6 seconds, which is just windswell – it's gonna be messy, especially with the onshore wind. The combined energy here is 463, which is moderate, but the quality just isn't there for a good paddle. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The following morning, Saturday the 19th, has a better-looking 3ft from the W with a 10-second period, but again, the wind is onshore and the condition is only "marginal." Not a stand-out, but something to keep an eye on if the forecast tightens up.

So, to wrap it up: your best bet is the glassy Sunday morning on the 6th. The rest of the run is a bust. Conditions like this don't tend to stay poor forever, so keep checking in. Water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
0
2
2
1
2
1
0
2
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
16
0.9
S
13
0.8
S
13
1
S
14
1
S
13
1
S
12
1
S
13
0.9
SSW
12
0.9
SSW
11
0.8
SSW
11
0.4
SW
19
0.8
SSW
10
0.7
SSW
10
0.6
SSW
17
0.5
SW
16
0.6
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
223
212
215
220
285
219
388
314
314
324
260
213
161
106
116
115
193
125
164
Wind (km/h)
5
NNE
10
S
10
WSW
5
NNW
5
SE
10
WSW
10
NNW
10
SW
10
WSW
5
N
10
SW
15
WSW
10
NNW
5
WSW
10
WSW
5
NNW
10
WSW
10
WSW
10
NW
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-off
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-off
on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
cross
High Tide
7:32AM1.37m
5:05PM2.05m
8:04AM1.49m
6:19PM2.14m
8:33AM1.60m
7:19PM2.22m
9:02AM1.72m
8:12PM2.26m
9:31AM1.82m
9:00PM2.24m
10:00AM1.92m
9:46PM2.15m
Low Tide
11:59PM0.41m
10:21AM1.31m
1:00AM0.27m
12:05PM1.24m
1:49AM0.16m
1:13PM1.10m
2:30AM0.11m
2:08PM0.94m
3:07AM0.12m
2:56PM0.78m
3:41AM0.19m
3:42PM0.65m
4:12AM0.31m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:19
7:16
7:15
7:15
7:13
7:12
 mm
Temp °C
20
24
25
23
23
24
21
26
27
24
28
28
26
31
32
29
29
29
28
Feels °C
21
24
25
22
23
24
21
24
25
22
26
26
25
30
30
28
28
28
27
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Tarpits Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Tarpits provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tarpits can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tarpits surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Tarpits) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Tarpits may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Tarpits is 16 km (10 miles) from the city of Santa Ana. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Ana. Santa Ana has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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