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Rockpile 88.7
#912 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · California · near Santa Barbara
Works almost every day, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score88.7 /100
Surfable days100% of the year
Clean days50% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell58% period 11 s+
Typical size1.3 m 4.2 ft median
Water16°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Rockpile
The best time to surf Rockpile is January, October, November. The season runs Jun to Jul. In November the water sits around 16°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 1.1 m. The nearest airport is SBA (6 km) and the nearest town is Santa Barbara (17 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100% | 65% | 1.7 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Feb | 100% | 57% | 1.3 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Mar | 99% | 51% | 1.4 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Apr | 100% | 36% | 1.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| May | 100% | 36% | 1.5 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 100% | 46% | 1.2 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 100% | 43% | 1.2 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Aug | 100% | 35% | 1.1 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Sep | 100% | 53% | 1.1 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Oct | 99% | 63% | 1.1 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Nov | 99% | 67% | 1.1 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 99% | 56% | 1.5 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
Why 88.7
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
24.0
Groundswell 12%
11.5
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
3.2
Water comfort 10%
1.9
Access 10%
9.7
The detail
Faces 210° with 47% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 88% of days. Mean peak period 11.4 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 43%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 34.420, -119.900 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Sands🇺🇸 United States of America · score 89.0Devereux🇺🇸 United States of America · score 89.1Driftwoods🇺🇸 United States of America · score 88.5Seals🇺🇸 United States of America · score 88.5
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