Santa Barbara Water Temperature

Santa Barbara in California is an excellent choice for vacations whether you enjoy fine dining, luxury shopping, outdoor activities or good beaches where numerous water sports are available. The city is easy to reach from any part of the world and there is a shuttle flight service available from Los Angeles LAX airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport at nearby Goleta.

Santa Barbara is on the Pacific Ocean coast just 100 miles north of Los Angeles and it is popular with surfers. The ocean temperature is cool on average, and lows of around 55F or 12.7C in January gradually build to approximately 65F or 18.3C in summer. However, in the autumn the water temperature can sometimes be as high as 75F or 23.8C. The reason for this warm bath phenomena is local winds known as ‘Sundowners’ which sweep down from the Santa Ynez mountains and bring heatwave conditions. A wetsuit is recommended for surfing during the winter and spring months, though board shorts are fine in the summer and autumn. Sudden rip tides can be dangerous and they can occur at any time along the southern California coast so it is always advisable to take note of flags and signs that display current conditions.

Best time to visit Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean type climate and is blessed with excellent weather throughout the year. The town is sheltered from ocean winds by a series of channel islands and is south facing, so you can expect sunshine for about 300 days each year. With an average of just 18 inches of rain annually, this warm, dry resort is a pleasure at any time. Temperatures during the day range from about 65F or 18.3F in winter to 77F or 25C in summer. Temperatures can reach their peak in the autumn when local winds bring heatwaves. Thanks to the mountains, nights are cool and pleasant and temperatures stay well above freezing in winter.

The top attractions in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara used to be considered a playground resort for the rich, but that couldn’t be further from the truth now. Excellent beaches such as the superb white sand East Beach attract a young, friendly crowd, while Rincon Point just 15 minutes to the south of Santa Barbara is one of the world’s top surfing locations. The Santa Barbara Mission on Laguna Street is one of the best preserved of all the Californian missions and is a fine example of Franciscan Spanish architecture, while Stearn’s Wharf is the longest deep water pier on the Pacific coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles and was once owned by the actor James Cagney. Cagney was not the only Hollywood legend to grace the town, and the Reagan Ranch Centre has exhibits from Ronald Reagan’s 25 years at Rancho del Cielo.

Activities & POI in Santa Barbara

Picture Copyright Flickr CC 2.0 Damian Gadal