Pleasure Point-First Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me look at what we’ve got here. Over the next two weeks, Pleasure Point-First Peak (Santa Cruz) is going to be a bit of a tease. There’s a proper swell running from the SSW, but most of the time, the conditions are just not coming together to make it count. The water’s sitting at 61°F, which is a full 5°F warmer than what we’d normally expect for this time of year – that’s a real standout, feels like we’ve skipped straight to late summer.

We kick off Thursday the 2nd through to the start of the following week, and honestly, it’s a write-off. The swell is small, around 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is cross or cross-on from the SSW. The wave energy is weak, staying well under 300. The reports are calling it “poor surf conditions” every session. There’s just no reason to paddle out. This flat spell runs through to the end of Sunday the 5th.

Things start to look a little more interesting from Monday the 6th. Still nothing to scream about, but Monday afternoon the wind swings a touch cross-off, cleaning things up, and we see the swell energy jump up to 402 – that’s moderate. The swell is 2ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, so it’s got some long-period groundswell character. That kind of period can make the wave a bit straight at the peak here, but with clean conditions, it becomes rideable.

The real standout window starts Tuesday the 7th afternoon and continues through Wednesday the 8th afternoon. Tuesday afternoon we’ve got 3ft from the SSW with a solid 18-second period, energy at 639 – that’s moderate, getting strong. The wind is cross-off and light, so the face should be clean. Wednesday the 8th afternoon is the best of the whole outlook: the swell holds at 3ft from the SSW, 16-second period, and the wind goes completely glassy. That’s a rare combo here – clean, lined-up, and some push behind it. Energy is still strong at 611. If you’re going to go, that Wednesday afternoon is your session. It’s an advanced reef break, and it’s often crowded, so expect company.

After that, from Thursday the 9th onward, the quality fades fast. The swell drops off and the wind goes cross or cross-on again. Between the 10th and the 15th, we’re back to tiny 1ft to 3ft waves with poor conditions. Energy drops into the double digits – as low as 50 by the 15th. That’s weak. By the 16th and 17th, we get a little bump in period up to 19 seconds on the 17th morning, but with only 1ft of swell and cross-onshore wind, it’s not going to do much.

So bottom line: you’ve got a long wait through the first weekend, then a clean, glassy window Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon that’s worth the paddle. The Wednesday afternoon glass-off on the 8th is the pick of the entire 16 days.

Stay patient, friends.

- Rusty

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