Season Overview

Best Season For Waves:

Santa Cruz loves a giant southern hemisphere swell, but they are few and far between - unfortunately.

The most consistent waves roll through during the fall and winter and into spring. For shortboarders, the winter provides cold, macking barrels of fun at places like Moss Landing, Steamer Lane and Sewer Peak (which is significantly cleaner than it sounds). If logging is more your style, spring and fall at Second Peak or Cowells are longboarder's heaven.

Weather:

The air temperature during the prime surf season (late September/ October- May) ranges from 30- 75 degrees. Santa Cruz is very often cold and/or foggy and/or rainy. For the sake of consistency, it would be nice if weather in Santa Cruz during the winter was predictably miserable, but there are days in January when the mercury reaches the mid- seventies and the sun blazes all day long. So come prepared - expecting the worst - and pack (a little) for the best.

The Good:

Good waves, good vibes, good food and good people.

Santa Cruz's biggest asset is the dynamism of its breaks and its folks - there is something for everyone. The surf in SC ranges from small, un-intimidating little peelers at Cowells to big, rolling peaks at Middle Peak (both spots are affiliates of Steamer Lane). Smooth shoulders perfect for hanging five are there for the trimming at Second Peak (Pleasure Point) and hard lips for the bashing abound up top at Sewer Peak (also part of the Point).

A visitor with an overabundance of gumption and/or cojones is encouraged to try their luck scoring some bombs at Waddell Creek or Scott's Creek. And of course, way up north there is Mavs but we'll leave that to the pros.

The Bad:

Good surfers (a lot of them), bad vibes (localism!!!), cold water, sharks, kelp and traffic.

Santa Cruz holds the promise of awesome breaks, awesome food and awesome extra-curricular activities, but for the same reason it also makes good on its reputation for grumpy, bogarting locals.

The Waves

Breaks (from West to East):

Natural Bridges: This is a right reef/point that breaks along a craggy coast. It's best on bigger NW or SW swell and on a lower tide. This wave is definitely for the intermediate to advanced crowd, as it offers gnarly barrels and fast rides. The downside to Natural Bridges is its fickleness; on the wrong tide it shuts down and with any wind, this place exemplifies the phrase "victory at sea."

Mitchell's Cove: Mitchell's Cove is a great right point but it takes a lot of swell to get this spot to break. It breaks best on a low to incoming tide and it needs at least a chest to head high swell before it starts working.

Steamer Lane: Don't call it "Steamers:" it's "the Lane" or "Steamer Lane" and nothing else. Well, Lighthouse Point if you're a total square, but we hope the total squares have not yet discovered this website.

The Lane is a right point complimented by some outside reefs, located on West Cliff Dr. It's best on a mid to low tide (but not too low) and a NW or WNW swell (although it definitely breaks on a south). This wave - like many in Santa Cruz - can be broken into a few subdivisions: The Point, The Slot, Middle Peak and Indicators. The Point is next to the cliff, right below the lighthouse at the top of what non-surfers refer to as "Lighthouse Point." It's a fast, hollow, relatively short wave that requires some jockeying and usually the surfer in the most perilous position (i.e. right in front of the rocks) gets the wave.

The Point breaks into The Slot, which is the section in front of the cove, and the pinnacle rock and the stairs. It is the slot where Santa Cruz surfers have perfected floaters, airs and other modern moves.

Middle Peak is the reef that you see when you look straight out at the Lane. It breaks in a rolling, somewhat mushy way but it can hold A LOT of swell. The Right at Middle Peak is generally shorter and mushier, while the left thunders like a Hawaiian Outer Reef. Middle Peak is one of the best big-wave challenges on the west coast, and it has prepared generations of surfers for the North Shore, Waimea Bay and now also Mavericks.

Indicators is the little bay in between Middle Peak and Cowells, and it's a fast wall that is usually a little smaller than the Slot or Middle Peak. On big days, energy from Middle Peak reforms at Indicators, and lines up all the way to the Dream Inn.

Cowells: Cowells is an easy, long, sand-bottomed right point, almost part of the Lane, but it's so sheltered by both Indicators and Steamer Lane that it requires a separate description. It's the ideal place for beginners, old-timers and people who don't want to deal with the crowd and aggro attitude of the Lane. Unless it's huge, Cowells is best ridden on a longboard, as it is a slow, long wave without that much push. A word to the wise: unless it's huge, on a high tide Cowells is usually useless.

There are a couple of surf spots on both sides of the Santa Cruz Pier that come and go with big swells and tides, but they are mostly local spots because they are so fickle. The Rivermouth is also a spot that comes and goes but it does more going than coming, unfortunately. During winters with a lot of rain, enough sand gets pushed down the San Lorenzo River to sometimes form a sandbar that creates a beautiful rivermouth peak right in the middle of town. Sadly, it doesn't happen enough.

The Harbor: The harbor is a right jetty/sand bar that also boasts a fast left on the inside (on a winter swell). Though it doesn't break as perfectly as it used to in the 70s and 80s (before the Army Corps of Engineers started dredging sand from the harbor mouth in the winter) it is still a damn near perfect wave if it's working. When you see pictures of surfers getting shacked in a dredging barrel, it is usually the Harbor you're looking at. It's also illegal to surf there, but whatever.

Between the Harbor and Pleasure Point there are spots that are consistent and mysto spots that break only on minus tides or huge swells. Or when the Harbor is being dredged: Murph Bar, Pink House, Black's, Secret Spot, The Cove, Santa Maria, 26th Avenue and Little Windansea.

Pleasure Point: Pleasure Point is a right point/ reef on East Cliff Dr. and it is comprised of (from West to East) Sewer Peak, First Peak, Second Peak and 38th. Pleasure Point faces south but is exposed to the north and so it breaks on pretty much any swell (though it lines up very differently on a NW than it does on a SW). The only tides that cause problems are extreme lows (it gets too kelpy) or a super highs (it just stops).

Sewer Peak is a hollow right, good for a shorter board. Sewers is definitely an intermediate to advanced spot, as it gets big and hairy when there's swell.

First Peak is directly to the east of Sewers, right out from the stairs at the end of 30th Ave. It is totally rideable on a log, but it's primarily a shortboard-only zone (at least that's what the local shortboarders want you to think). It's lippy (but less lippy than Sewers) and on the right swell, you can connect a wave all the way through to the bottom of Second Peak.

Second Peak is an ideal wave for longboarding and it yields nice, clean walls (if a bit kelpy) for your noseriding pleasure.

38th is the last break that is officially part of the Point and, like Cowells, it's a smaller, less forceful version of the main break- ideal for beginners but fun for all. Be careful though; on a good Southern Hemisphere or WNW swell 38th transforms into a dredging barrel that has snapped up more than one log in its jaws.

The Hook and Sharks: These spots are geographically in the Pleasure Point area, but they aren't truly part of Pleasure Point (the surf spot). They are quick right-handers and fun rides, usually populated by the shortboard crowd but just as good for longboarding. The Hook is at the end of 41st Ave. and Sharks is right around the corner, to the east. Like the point, they take any swell and are best on a mid to incoming tide.

Up The Coast:

Driving north from Santa Cruz, there is 60+ miles of coastline that is almost entirely agriculture and has been developed very little. Kind of amazing, when you consider the population pressures on all sides, and that the whole world wants to live by the California Coast.

There are dozens of spots along here, but the spots that are in Santa Cruz County include?

Davenport: Davenport landing is at the end of Swanton Road, off Highway 1. It has a right and left point, with a deep channel between the two. While the waves are decent, deep water channels usually mean two things: an easy paddle out and an easy place for sharks to grab a quick bite. Appropriately, the right at Davenport is called "Shark Bite Right." There have been several attacks and encounters here. Many years ago, a guy on a sailboard was attacked by a white shark, while jibing, a half mile out. More recently, this is where Eric Geiselman had a Close Encounter of the Big Bump Kind while competing at the Cold Water Classic. How much fun do you want to have? In any case, Davenport takes a mid to incoming tide and a NW, W or SW.

Scott's Creek: This place is a right reef and though it breaks on a smaller SW, NW or W, it is best known for getting really big. Scott's itself is a big, barreling wave that is considered to be the next step up to Mavericks - after Middle Peak.

To the south of the reef, winter sand bars pop up along the whole beach and are constantly shape-shifting with tide and swell direction: Are you feeling lucky, punk?

The best tide is high or incoming, because low tides makes the wave slab out like Shipsterns, and low tide exposes those kelp bulbs that pop up all of a sudden and scare the shit out of you.

The main downside to Scott's Creek is the wind (which can blow half a gale because of the northern exposure of this break) and the very real threat of tussling with Mr. White.

Waddell Creek: Waddell is a favorite go-to summer spot for Santa Cruz county surfers. It is a quarter mile of left reefs, ending in the river mouth, and north of that there are more reefs and beachbreaks. It handles a S or SW beautifully but it also likes a W or NW. As with Scott's, drawbacks are great whites and wind, both of which can be biting.

Water Temps:

In the winter SC gets chilly. The water usually doesn't drop below an even 50, but it can feel a lot colder when the air temp + wind factor combine to drag the outside temp down to a frigid 40- 45 degrees.

During summer, the water temp fluctuates between the mid-fifties and mid sixties, depending on the wind (upwelling).

Equipment:

Anything from a gun to an old singlefin and everything in between. Whatever's in your quiver, Santa Cruz will deliver.

Thrusters, fish, single-fin eggs and hulls are great for First and Second Peak pleasure point but so are longboards. For the Lane, thrusters to mini-guns are fun (when it's big) and longboards are fine when it's under 10-12 feet. At Cowells you can take out an old beat-up log, a door, a surf mat, a sponge, a kayak, a stand up paddle board- you get the idea. At Natural Bridges a thruster or other modern day short board shape is best- same with Scott's Creek and Waddell Creek, although you may want to bring your mini-gun up there if it's really huge.

If kite-surfing is your thing, north county SC is the perfect place to do it as it gets very windy in the afternoons. Windsurfing is also an option.

Wetsuits:

In summer: a 3/2 to 2/1 full suit, or spring suits and trunks if you're really brave.

In winter: a 4/3 full will usually suffice, but if you get cold a 5/4 isn't overdoing it. Booties, a hood and gloves are also common attire.

Locals:

Not too happy to have visitors. Though it depends on the spot and the swell, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being chummy) SC locals are a mean 8-11.

Dangers:

Sharks, kelp, locals, Slugs, Trannies (transplants; not SC grown), hypothermia.

Accommodation & Transportation

Where to Stay:

There isn't a lot of camping inside Santa Cruz and you have to go a few miles north, east or west to find a site. But there are worse things than spending a night under the stars at Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, or south of town along the beaches at Sunset State Beach, Manresa State Beach and New Brighton. Prices at these campsites are typically around $25 a night.

Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, or south of town along the beaches at Sunset State Beach, Manresa State Beach and New Brighton. Prices at these campsites are typically around $25 a night.

There is a pleasant youth hostel at Pigeon Point, about 45 minutes north of town. In town there is The Santa Cruz Hostel downtown. Both places charge between $20 - $25 for a bed in a dorm (one dorm usually has six other beds in) and $53-68 for a private room.

If you have the green for it, there are a lot of small hotels and bed-and-brekkies, as well as a few major hotels in town.

If you are going Bedouin and sleeping in your car, sometimes the Yacht Harbor is a good place for that, as a lot of fishermen and boaters leave their cars overnight. And if you are quick or lucky, you can slip in to use the bathrooms and showers.

Getting Around:

If you're driving in Santa Cruz, aside from the aforementioned traffic, it is pretty quick and easy to get around. Flying directly into SC is not possible, but rental cars are available at the nearby San Jose and San Francisco airports. It is also pretty easy to take an airport shuttle and grab a car in Santa Cruz. Here are a few options:

Avis Rent-A-Car: Santa Cruz - 630 Ocean St
www.avis.com - (831) 423-1244

Enterprise Rent-A-Car - Santa Cruz
www.enterprise.com - (831) 426-7799

Hertz Car Rental - Santa Cruz Downtown
maps.google.com - (831) 423-0315

In typical Nor-Cal hippy fashion, the Santa Cruz public transportation system is superb. Most buses run until the wee hours of the morning, so if you're planning on partying you'll have a cheap, uncomplaining designated (bus) driver. The only downside to riding city buses is that they don't allow anything over 5'0 to be carried on board, so taking a surf board (or average sized midget) is usually out of the question.

Do the buses allow alaia? We'll ask.

Current Surf Conditions

Click to see current conditions

The Basics

Location:

Surf City North is comfortably nestled in the crook of the Monterey Bay, which cuts down on exposure to ill winds from all directions, but leaves the points, reefs and beachbreaks open to all swell directions but extreme north.

This cloistered location also contributes to a sense of isolation and "other-worldliness" that makes SC so special. While many claim to be Santa Cruz locs, at some point everyone (or their parents) came from somewhere else. This feature of SC is the reason why the town plays host to so many different vibes, attitudes, cultures and philosophies. There are hippies from Humboldt and Mendocino, city-folk who fled San Francisco to seek refuge in a secluded- yet nearby- corner of the world, and Southern Californians who just couldn't find the heart to go home. Luckily, the surf is similarly dynamic. No matter what you want to ride or what you want to ride it on, Santa Cruz will produce the wave you desire. From huge barrels, to easy rollers and peelers, SC is the optimum surf destination for anyone who has an appreciation for great waves and eclectic character.

Getting Here:

Highway 1 (P.C.H.) runs straight through the town, and in recent years, construction on this main vein of the California coast has floored locals who would rather have Santa Cruz off the map than on it. Unfortunately for Nor-Cal hermits, SC is very accessible and P.C.H. can be reached via the 5 freeway or the 101 freeway. If you're driving, exit River Street to get to down town Santa Cruz. If arriving by airplane, it's best to fly into the San Jose airport (SJC) and take Highway 17 over to Santa Cruz.

Official Language:

English, Nor-Cal speak (ex: "Just cruisin' the point, gonna grab some brekkie at Paula's. It's hectic out there today, way eggy bro!")

Currency:

American dollars and other green things.

Exchange Rate:

$1: $1/ 1 pound = $2,000

Health and Safety:

Hazards include: beat-downs by crusty locals, cajoling punk-rock vagrants, crazed Reagan-era bums and frostbite. There are those pesky white sharks, and slippery-sharp rocks, and getting caught inside at 12-foot Scott's is no fun, or getting held down with your leash caught in kelp. But for the most part, Santa Cruz is safe and sane...

Pitfalls:

The locals, the outta-towners, the students, the cold, the kelp and the traffic (mainly a result of the added population of UC students and the lack of adequate, multi-lane thoroughfares in town). Also, summer flat spells, howling northwest winds that drop the water temperature, that pesky southeast wind that blows out of the Salinas Valley in the summer.

Did we mention those pesky white sharks? Prime time for shark attacks is late August into early November, but they can happen anytime. There hasn't been an attack inside the Bay since the 1960s, but they have been seen lurking.

Expectations:

There is a reason SC locals so jealously guard their town- Santa Cruz has great surf, period. So one can expect to catch some of this action.

Though Santa Cruz has become much more crowded in the past 20 years, one advantage of taking a surf vacation here is that there are A LOT of spots packed into a very small area. As opposed to Southern California where you have to drive 5-10 miles north or south of the legendary Malibu to check the nearest spot, SC is only six miles long and has upwards of 10 major spots (and many obscure secret ones) within this tiny stretch of coast.

Things To Do

Attractions:

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is family fun for everyone, featuring The Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, Skee Ball, hot dogs on a stick and a fun variety of old school and 21st Century fun: video games, pinball and other Fascinations. There's also a bowling alley right across the street from the boardwalk with a nice bar inside it.

Besides that, the hiking trails (up at UC Santa Cruz, Nisene Marks and Big Basin) are gorgeous. If you like circuses go walk around downtown on Pacific Ave. or Front St. and people watch. If you like movies, catch a midnight show (always old classics, like The Goonies) at the Del Mar Theatre on Pacific Ave. There's even a Santa Cruz Surfing Museum right next to the lighthouse in front of Lighthouse Poi.. The Lane.

Links:

Boardwalk
Movie Theatre
Big Basin
Nisene
UCSC Map
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Where to Eat and Drink:

Santa Cruz may be a small-ish town, but because of the diverse demographic of people who have filtered through and/or stayed up there, the cuisine is superbly various.

For breakfast, Paula's Caf on the East Side (Portola Dr. and 30th Ave.) is a favorite of Wingnut's and other Santa Cruz surf industrial figures. Paula's serves up deliciously cheap brekkie combos. Chill Out Caf on 41st Ave. is also a local choice. For lunch, Pleasure Pizza has locations downtown on Pacific Ave., on the East Side on 41st Ave. and on the West Side on Highway 1. Try Pizza My Heart downtown or in Capitola, and you decide which is Mas Macho.

If you'd prefer something a little swankier, the Crow's Nest at the harbor has a great view of the ocean you just dominated, and fusiony American cuisine. On the pier, Olitas brags good Mexican food but a better view of the surf at the Lane. If you want really great Mexican sin pretenciones, try Taqueria Michoacan on Portola Dr. and 16th Ave. And last but not least, amazing sushi can be had at Naka on 41st Ave.- if you want a more fun, less traditional atmosphere (but also less traditional sushi) try Pink Godzilla: it's right across the street.

Links:

http://www.pinkgodzilla.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/naka-sushi-restaurant-santa-cruz
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paulas-santa-cruz
http://www.olitassantacruz.com/
http://www.crowsnest-santacruz.com/home/home.php

Shopping:

You can get anything you want, from Luis Vuitton to hash pipes in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific Ave.

Events:

Santa Cruz is host to the O'Neill Cold Water Classic, a world-class shortboard comp at Steamer Lane. Also, there are a variety of different festivals and functions the city puts on- all of which can be found here: http://www.santacruzca.org/things/evtresults.cfm

Nightlife:

Though Santa Cruz is small, at night the locals like to go big. Some favorite hangouts are the downtown bars on Pacific Ave.: The Red Room, the Asti, Rosie McCans, The Blue Lagoon and Motive. (Motive is a new place, owned by surfer/ local Mike Pitt and it is definitely the local surf hangout on the West Side).

In the middle of town, Seabright Brewery is a fun hang that brews its own beer and serves good burgers. On the East Side, a local favorite is The Castaways (also owned by Mike Pitt).

Additional Resources

Surf Shops:

Arrow Surf and Sport (West Side)
2322 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, 831-423-8286

Arrow Surf and Sport
312 Capitola Ave.
Capitola, 831-475-8960

Freeline Design Surfboards
821 41st Ave.
Santa Cruz, 831-476-2950

City Tourism Info:

http://www.santacruz.com/Surfing
http://surfingsantacruz.com

Shark Info:

www.sharkresearchcommittee.com