Santa Barbara — Rincon Point Surf Report
Live conditions · Updated every 30 minutes · Always free
Good conditions. waist to chest high waves (2.5ft), glassy conditions, incoming tide. Solid surf for intermediate and above.
Current Conditions
Today's Surf Timeline
Hourly surf score from 5am to 9pm. Taller bar = better conditions. Best window highlighted in teal.
Today's Tides
Tide data from NOAA station — Santa Barbara, California. Times shown in Pacific Time.
Santa Barbara — Rincon Point Surf Guide
Rincon Point — "The Queen of the Coast" — is widely regarded as the finest right-hand point break in California and one of the top point breaks in the world. Located on the Ventura–Santa Barbara county line, Rincon transforms on big NW groundswells into a long, perfectly tapering right-hander with three distinct sections: The Indicator, The Cove, and The River Mouth. When all three sections connect on a large, long-period NW swell with offshore Santa Ana winds, Rincon produces rides of 400 metres or more — rare in California surf. The prime season runs November through March when NW groundswells arrive with regularity. Santa Ana wind events — dry, warm offshore winds blowing from the northeast — are Rincon's magic ingredient, ironing the surface to glass and adding punch to incoming sets.
Best Months to Surf Santa Barbara — Rincon Point
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about surfing at Santa Barbara — Rincon Point.
The nickname reflects Rincon's status as the finest point break in California. Its long, perfectly tapering right-hander connecting three sections is unmatched in consistency and quality along the entire California coastline.
Rincon needs solid NW groundswell — ideally 6ft+ on the open ocean face with 14–18 second period — to connect its three sections. Smaller swells only fire The Cove section. The biggest days produce rides of 400+ metres.