Santa Cruz County, California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Pleasure Point, 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.
Fri, Apr 10: 2–3ft, 15s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on WSW swell at 8s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 10mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Sat, Apr 11: 3–4ft, 17s period, rated Fair. Midday is the call — 2-3ft waves with moderate SW wind around 8mph and fair conditions. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up. Sea breeze fills back in by mid-afternoon so get on it early.
Sun, Apr 12: 11–12ft, 11s period, rated Poor. Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor at 11-12ft. Winds back off through the day and conditions clean up to poor - fair by PM.
Mon, Apr 13: 4–5ft, 10s period, rated Good. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on W swell at 10s with light winds out of the NE. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Tue, Apr 14: 3–4ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 9s and light winds out of the NNE. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on WSW swell at 8s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 10mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Midday is the call — 2-3ft waves with moderate SW wind around 8mph and fair conditions. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up. Sea breeze fills back in by mid-afternoon so get on it early.
Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor at 11-12ft. Winds back off through the day and conditions clean up to poor - fair by PM.
10s period — conditions are improving beyond your forecast
Sign up free to track itPleasure Point is the anchor of East Side Santa Cruz surfing, a long reef-point lineup with distinct take-off zones (First Peak, Sewer Peak, 36th Ave, 38th Ave) that peel right across cobblestone reef. The wave is a forgiving medium-performance right that handles size but is legendarily crowded on any decent swell. Local etiquette is strict — get in the right order before dropping in.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Pleasure Point is 2-3ft with a 15.55s swell period. Wind is W at 7mph and conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Pleasure Point is 2-3ft, produced by a 1.9ft W primary swell at 8s, a 1ft WNW secondary swell at 15s, a 1ft SW tertiary swell at 16s. 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 Pleasure Point is Monday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 9.6s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Pleasure Point 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 Pleasure Point. 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.
Pleasure Point is a point with a reef bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Pleasure Point is the anchor of East Side Santa Cruz surfing, a long reef-point lineup with distinct take-off zones (First Peak, Sewer Peak, 36th Ave, 38th Ave) that peel right across cobblestone reef. The wave is a forgiving medium-performance right that handles size but is legendarily crowded on any decent swell. Local etiquette is strict — get in the right order before dropping in.
The prime season at Pleasure Point is winter, 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 Pleasure Point include crowds, localism, rocks, cold water, paddleboard traffic. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Pleasure Point 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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
