Start

Goleta Beach Pier, Goleta, CA

Start at Goleta Beach, CA, which has free parking.

The beach gets eroded away each year so conditions change.

In recent years the best place to park and launch from has been the second to last parking area towards UCSB (west end of the park).

Finish

Santa Barbara Wharf/Harbor, Santa Barbara, CA

34.408340, -119.690584

End in the Santa Barbara harbor at the beach where you see surfskis and outrigger racks.

The Sea Landing building has a small bathroom and there are outdoor showers between the building and the parking lot you can awkwardly use to rinse off your boat.

You will either need a second car parked in the harbor lot boat ramp area or you can use a ride service to make it back to Goleta beach.

In the latter case, stash your boat near the racks, change into dry clothes you have carried, head to Cabrillo blvd and pull up your favorite app to hail a ride.

Cost seems to run around $25 as of 2020.

Run Length

17 km

Shuttle Length

17 km

Weather & more

This run needs stable wind out of the SW, W, NW. 

Wind conditions can be estimated from the conditions at the end of the pier.

https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base_dyn.cgi?stn=NTBC1

https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base_dyn.cgi?stn=KSBA

Use the sites above for accurate forecasts.

The time of day is almost always in the afternoon due to thermals, which the normal forecast models (GFS, ECMWF, NAM) don't really show.

After launching from the beach you will want to head out to the point staying close to the USCB cliffs for wind protection.

Once out in the real wind and waves evaluate the conditions:

This is your last chance for an easy turn around because once you are east of Goleta Beach park all beach access becomes private and difficult until Arroyo Burro county park.

Generally you will find yourself surfing big waves coming from SW, which will push you towards Hope Ranch so you either need to make an effort to stay wide or you will have to interrupt the DW every mile or so and spend some time paddling back out.

If the wind is more NW than W stay relatively close to Leadbetter point and aim straight for the harbor as soon as you see it because the wind will be more northern in that last section.

Often as you reach the harbor entrance you will paddle straight upwind!

Contributor

Thorsten von Eicken