Sands Beach Surf Forecast, Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara County, California

Devereux0-1ft Campus Point0-1ft Haskels BeachFlat

Current Conditions

Very Poor

Wave Height

0-1ft

flat to ankle high

Swell Period

14.5s

Wind

7mph

ESE / Gusts 13mph

Conditions

Very Poor

Active Swells

Primary

0.5ft @ 12sSSW

Secondary

0.4ft @ 15sSW

Tertiary

0.2ft @ 8sWSW

Wind Swell

0.5ft @ 2sSSE

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days

Tue, Mar 310-1ft

Very Poor

Pretty quiet out there — 0-1ft and mostly very poor with light winds out of the ENE.

6am9am12pm3pm

12s SSW|4mph ENE

Wed, Apr 10-1ft

Very Poor

A slow one — 0-1ft waves and very poor conditions with gentle W breeze.

6am9am12pm3pm

14s SW|3-5mph WNW

Thu, Apr 2Flat

Very Poor

Slim pickings today — Flat and very poor with strong WNW wind at 14mph.

6am9am12pm3pm

13s SW|6-14mph NW

Sat

Forecast Charts

Sands Beach Surf Spot Guide

Break

Beach

Bottom

Sand

Level

Beginner

Crowd

Moderate

Best Swell

Best Wind

Season

Fall

Sands Beach is a forgiving sandy beach break located along Santa Barbara County's coastline, offering accessible waves that peel consistently across a soft sand bottom. The beach faces north-northeast, capturing winter swells from the northwest while benefiting from offshore southeast winds that groom the faces. This is an ideal learning ground for beginners and intermediate surfers seeking mellow conditions and plenty of room to practice in a scenic California coastal setting.

Shore break at high tideOccasional rip currents

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Sands Beach Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Sands Beach?

The current wave height at Sands Beach is 0-1ft with a 14.5s swell period. Wind is ESE at 7mph. Conditions are rated Very Poor.

How accurate is the Sands Beach surf forecast?

Our Sands Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends.

What is the breaking wave height at Sands Beach?

The current breaking wave height at Sands Beach is 0-1ft, produced by a 0.5ft SSW primary swell at 12s, a 0.4ft SW secondary swell at 15s, a 0.2ft WSW tertiary swell at 8s, a 0.5ft SSE wind swell swell at 2s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.

When is the best time to surf Sands Beach?

Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Sands Beach is Friday from 9 AM to 12 PM with 1ft waves, a 8.15s swell period, and conditions rated Poor. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.