Santa Cruz Harbour Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.96° N 122.00° W

Santa Cruz Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 24 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Santa Cruz Harbour sea temperature is
15.9° C
1.8° 

Santa Cruz Harbour surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Santa Cruz Harbour surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 19s period, SSW swell with 953 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Santa Cruz Harbour this week:

The surf forecast for Santa Cruz Harbour over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 21s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Santa Cruz Harbour in the next 16 days are 1.2m 19s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) 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 1.7m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Best Surf 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Most Powerful 5PM (Mon 27th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 19s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Santa Cruz Harbour over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off with a bit of a slow builder. The first real session worth paddling out for is on Saturday morning, July 25th, at Santa Cruz Harbour. This is a beach and jetty setup, and it’s fairly consistent. The water is sitting about average for the time of year. Saturday morning we’ve got a 3ft SSW swell rolling in with a very long period of 21 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate to strong (923). The wind is glassy, light from the SW, so it’s going to be clean. That long period groundswell will be holding up well at this jetty and breakwater setup, giving you some proper shape. This is the standout of the whole run. The swell direction is a little off from the optimum (SSW), but with that energy and glassy conditions, it’s the best on offer.

Saturday afternoon the wind swings to a light cross, dropping the quality a bit for a 3ft swell. The weekend goes downhill from there. Sunday the 26th sees a cross-on wind, and the swell just goes marginal. Monday and Tuesday are all onshore and weak, with the swell barely hanging around 3ft to 4ft and short period, so it’s grovelly stuff. The combined energy is moderate (1019 on Monday afternoon) but the wind is not your friend.

From Wednesday the 29th right through to the end of the first week, the swell drops and the wind stays onshore. It’s a real flat spell. By Friday the 31st, the energy is weak (254) and the conditions are poor. No point in looking.

We get a tiny flicker of life on Saturday, August 1st. The morning is still onshore, but the afternoon goes glassy again with a 4ft S swell at 13 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (488). It’s rideable, but it’s a far cry from that first Saturday. That’s the only other window that might be worth a quick paddle.

After that, we’re into a long, dry spell. From Sunday the 2nd of August all the way through until Friday the 8th, the swell is tiny—1ft to 2ft—with weak energy (under 100). The wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, and it’s just poor. There’s no surf to speak of. The run continues flat through to the end of the forecast on Sunday the 9th.

So, bottom line: your one and only real standout is Saturday morning, July 25th. Get on it. The rest of the window is a write-off for paddling. If you’ve got a kite, those weak onshore days might be your only entertainment.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SW
22
0.9
SSW
21
0.8
SSW
21
1
SW
20
0.9
SSW
19
0.9
SSW
19
0.9
SSW
18
1.1
SW
18
1.2
SSW
19
1
SSW
17
1.2
SSW
18
1.1
SW
17
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.6
S
16
0.6
S
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
476
799
573
746
657
630
547
735
953
580
817
695
566
539
487
382
353
179
155
Wind (km/h)
5
NNW
5
SW
5
WNW
5
NNW
5
SSW
15
WNW
5
NW
5
SW
10
WNW
0
NW
5
SW
10
WNW
0
NW
5
SSW
10
SW
0
WNW
10
SW
10
WSW
0
NW
Wind State
glassy
glassy
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
on
cross
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
High Tide
10:57AM1.24m
8:00PM1.66m
11:30AM1.27m
8:44PM1.68m
11:58AM1.27m
9:25PM1.69m
12:20PM1.26m
10:03PM1.69m
12:40PM1.26m
10:40PM1.66m
12:58PM1.27m
11:17PM1.59m
Low Tide
3:00AM0.01m
2:26PM1.05m
3:39AM-0.06m
3:12PM1.03m
4:14AM-0.11m
3:50PM1.00m
4:46AM-0.15m
4:25PM0.95m
5:15AM-0.17m
4:57PM0.89m
5:41AM-0.16m
5:30PM0.83m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:09
6:09
6:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:21
8:21
8:20
8:19
8:17
8:16
8:15
 mm
Temp °C
19
21
26
20
21
28
22
21
27
21
21
27
21
20
24
19
20
23
18
Feels °C
19
21
25
20
21
26
22
20
25
20
21
27
21
20
24
20
19
22
19
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Santa Cruz Harbour Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Santa Cruz Harbour provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Santa Cruz Harbour can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Santa Cruz Harbour 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 (Santa Cruz Harbour) 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 Santa Cruz Harbour 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.

Santa Cruz Harbour 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.

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