Jalama Beach County Park
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Hourly Forecast
Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
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Jalama Beach County Park surf guide

Jalama Beach County Park is located at the end of Jalama Road, about 28 miles from Highway 101. This spot offers a pretty remote vibe, surrounded by the Vandenberg Air Force Base to the north and the wild Point Conception coastline to the south. It’s a bit of a drive, but many surfers enjoy making the trip, especially given how close it is to Santa Barbara County's surf scene. Just keep in mind that it can be less than ideal some days, and those heavy NW winds are a common issue, so timing is key.

The surf at Jalama can be a mixed bag. It features a beachbreak that tends to work best with smaller, peaky swells at high tide. Swell sizes typically range from 4ft to 12ft (1.2m to 3.7m), and the breaks can put out some solid juice year-round. If you head further south to Tarantulas, you'll find a rock reef that creates mostly lefts with some decent rights, all washing into a channel. Tarantulas is way more consistent than the beachbreak, and it's generally better for those with intermediate to expert skills looking to challenge themselves. Just watch out for the crowds on good days—things can get pretty hectic.

Parking is $10 a day in the campground area, so be prepared to pay up rather than risk a ticket. The access road is a twisting ride with some stunning views, but once you’re here, the environment feels untouched. The local vibe is usually chill, but keep it cool at Tarantulas, especially when it’s packed. Jalama can be surfed all year, but fall might give you some epic days. Overall, it’s a spot that caters to various board types, whether you’re on a shortboard, fish, funboard, or even a longboard. Just know that you'll need to be wary of the heavy currents and the occasional shark sighting.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Jalama Beach County Park

The Ranch – Utah
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
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Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
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Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – Rights and Lefts
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – San Augustine Reef
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – San Augustine Point
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – Lefts and Rights
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – Cojo Reef
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – Cojo Point
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – Perkos
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
The Ranch – Government Point
California, United States
Point break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Jalama Beach County Park
California, United States
Beach break
Wed 3
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Fri 5
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Wind certainty

Wind certainty tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High certainty: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium certainty: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low certainty: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate this by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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Readme

Welcome! If you’re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

🔮 Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

💨 Wind section

The first row on the table (with the 💨 icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

🌊 Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

🌒 Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front — handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. It’s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Here’s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm — the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

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