Santa Cruz County, California
Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 3-4ft with barely a breath of wind.
Best window·Friday 12PM–3PM·2-3ft·Fair
Very Poor today — get one free email when Manresa State Beach turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Manresa State Beach, Santa Cruz County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Wed, Jul 22: 2–3+ft, 11s period, rated Very Poor. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 3-4ft with barely a breath of wind. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Thu, Jul 23: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on SSW swell at 14s with barely a breath of wind. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Fri, Jul 24: 2–3ft, 25s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on SSW swell at 13s with gentle ENE breeze. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Sat, Jul 25: 2–3ft, 22s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on S swell at 12s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 7mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor.
Sun, Jul 26: 2–3ft, 20s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on SW swell at 20s with barely a breath of wind. The SW wind kicks in by afternoon — 8mph and poor by then.
Check Manresa State Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Manresa is a long wide-open South County beach break roughly twenty-five minutes from Santa Cruz, offering plenty of space to spread out and pick your own peak. It is smaller than the North Coast on average but picks up SW and W swells well, producing forgiving shifting sand peaks ideal for intermediates and fitness sessions. A quiet alternative to the packed town lineups.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Manresa State Beach is 2-3ft with a 8.3s swell period. Wind is WSW at 9mph and conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Manresa State Beach is 2-3ft, produced by a 3.8ft SSW primary swell at 8s, a 1.9ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 1ft WNW tertiary swell at 12s, a 1.1ft WNW wind swell swell at 8s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Manresa State Beach is Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM with 3ft waves, a 13.4s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Manresa State Beach works best with a WSW swell and NE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Manresa State Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Manresa State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Manresa is a long wide-open South County beach break roughly twenty-five minutes from Santa Cruz, offering plenty of space to spread out and pick your own peak. It is smaller than the North Coast on average but picks up SW and W swells well, producing forgiving shifting sand peaks ideal for intermediates and fitness sessions. A quiet alternative to the packed town lineups.
The prime season at Manresa State Beach is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Manresa State Beach include rip currents, cold water, shifting sandbars. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Manresa State Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
