Surf Forecast  Campus Point

Campus Point surfspot characteristics

More about Campus Point surfspot

Inconsistent right point next to UCSB requiring big W swell. Excellent quality when it breaks correctly. Handles as big a swell as the ocean can provide, the bigger the better. Fast, hollow sections and long rides when it’s on; mushy, slow, and weak when it’s not. The inner peak is called Poles and is popular with grommets and longboarders. Lower tides are generally best. Always crowded with students.

General: The surf usually isn't the best here, but it does have its epic days and is considerably more consistent than the county's more southerly or easterly beachbreaks. Campus Point requires a pretty big swell to reach its potential, and those kinds of swells usually coincide with foul S winds and overall crummy conditions. Nevertheless, Campus Point is a long wave with several sections, including a zippy inside wall during low tide. Tides: Low to medium Size: chest-high to double overhead Wind: N, NE Swell: WSW, W, WNW... preferably a swell period less than 15 seconds Bottom: Rock Paddling: Mellow most days, a little extra work if it is solid. Spot Rating: Soft, lined up pointbreak most days.

Beginner to intermediate

All directions are oriented for northbound travelers. Exit 101 onto 217 and drive to the UCSB entrance gate. Hang a quick left and you'll eventually find the parking lot, which is across the street from the college dorms. There is a nominal fee to park here, and you can either pay at the entrance gate kiosk, or risk another parking ticket.

October-February

Crowd Factor: The hordes flock to the surf spots of Isla Vista. Local Vibe: Just a bunch of people (mostly students) enjoying the water and waves, little more.

Access is by parking in the coin-metered lot adjacent to the point (make sure you have coins if you go).

Pretty clean unless it just rained.

The UCSB crowd, getting run over.