
Surf Forecasts:
Pleasure Point-First Peak surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, S swell with 478 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pleasure Point-First Peak this week:
The surf forecast for Pleasure Point-First Peak over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pleasure Point-First Peak in the next 16 days are 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pleasure Point-First Peak over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, it's Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming our way over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty ordinary, with small, weak swells and cross-shore winds that are just not doing us any favours. The water is way warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at 62°F, which is a real treat for the skin, but the waves themselves are struggling to get going. The energy is pretty low, with readings around 90 to 90 on Thursday the 16th, and it doesn't get much better through the weekend.
Honestly, the first real standout in this whole run is Monday the 20th in the morning. That's when things start to get interesting. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the south, with a period of 14 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That's a major positive. The energy is ramping up too, hitting 569. It's still not huge, but for a clean, glassy morning, Pleasure Point-First Peak (Santa Cruz) should finally offer some fun, rideable lines. It's a reef break that's fairly consistent, so it can handle a bit of attention, but crowds are often a factor here, so expect company.
The real magic, though, is looking further ahead. Starting on Friday the 24th, we've got a seriously long-period groundswell moving in from the SW. The period jumps to 24 seconds, which is a monster. The energy just explodes, hitting 932 on the Friday afternoon and then a massive 1238 on Saturday the 25th. By Saturday afternoon, we're looking at 4ft swell from the south, with glassy conditions and energy readings of 1618. That's a proper pulse of energy. Keep in mind that a long-period swell like this is best on a reef like Pleasure Point, as it can get a bit straight and dumpy on a beach break. This is the one to circle on your calendar.
The quality holds through Sunday the 26th, with clean conditions and solid energy, and then Monday the 27th afternoon looks like another absolute cracker, with 4ft from the SSW and glassy conditions again, energy at 1079. There's a lot of potential in that second week, but as always, long-range forecasts have a bit more uncertainty, so keep your fingers crossed.
After that, the swell starts to back off and the winds get a bit more cross, so the later part of the month looks like it's fading back into average territory.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a dud, but the following weekend and the start of the next week are where it's at. The real standouts are Saturday the 25th and Monday the 27th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 17 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
90 | 89 | 122 | 181 | 84 | 73 | 246 | 258 | 44 | 230 | 309 | 302 | 368 | 478 | 330 | 303 | 321 | 252 | 372 | 250 | 233 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 1:37PM1.80m | 00:34AM2.18m | 2:19PM1.86m | 1:30AM1.95m | 3:00PM1.91m | 2:31AM1.72m | 3:41PM1.94m | 3:42AM1.50m | 4:23PM1.96m | 5:11AM1.36m | 5:06PM1.97m | 6:54AM1.31m | 5:51PM1.97m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:41PM1.05m | 7:36AM0.16m | 7:46PM1.00m | 8:16AM0.36m | 8:55PM0.95m | 8:54AM0.58m | 10:09PM0.88m | 9:32AM0.79m | 11:25PM0.78m | 10:12AM0.98m | 00:36AM0.68m | 10:58AM1.13m | 1:37AM0.57m | ||||||||
6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 27 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 19 |
Feels °C | 21 | 25 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
90 | 89 | 277 | 243 | 235 | 131 | 68 | 288 | 66 | 78 | 283 | 302 | 368 | 478 | 330 | 303 | 321 | 187 | 372 | 250 | 233 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | SW 14 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | NW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 11 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 |
124 | 120 | 190 | 170 | 74 | 208 | 203 | 258 | 191 | 230 | 309 | 74 | 201 | 255 | 203 | 114 | 171 | 252 | 82 | 68 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 16 | WNW 15 | SW 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 |
30 | 30 | 122 | 181 | 84 | 73 | 246 | 44 | 44 | 186 | 181 | 288 | 47 | 62 | 47 | 34 | 35 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | NW 3 |
232 | 294 | — | — | 232 | — | — | 104 | — | — | 119 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 0 | 60 | 147 | 0 | 123 | 147 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pleasure Point-First Peak Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pleasure Point-First Peak provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pleasure Point-First Peak can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pleasure Point-First Peak surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Pleasure Point-First Peak) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Pleasure Point-First Peak may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Pleasure Point-First Peak is 3 km (2 miles) from the city of Live Oak. If you plan a vacation in Santa Cruz, look for hotels and other accommodation in Live Oak. Live Oak has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










