West of Isla Vista in Santa Barbara County, Southern California, Sands Beach is a pretty good beachy that rolls over a reef and sand bottom. The waves here can be a bit tricky to surf and break for up to 50 meters providing great sections for turns as well as the occasional barrel. Often crowded with UCSB students as well as shallow rocks around low tide.
What are the best surf conditions for Sands Beach?
Gets good between waist high to double overhead on a peaky swell. We recommend riding a shortboard here. Sands beach is best for intermediate and advanced surfers. The surf here is very consistent (8/10) but will be very crowded (8/10), walk further down the beach for less crowds. The best winds blow from the Southeast, best swells from the Northwest, South, Southwest, and West. Works best on mid to high tide. Rockier toward the southern side, and more sandbars to the north.
We recommend wearing a 3/2 wetsuit in the summer when water temperatures rise to 17 degrees in August. In the winter a 4/3 is best when water temperatures drop to 13 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
