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.
Mon, May 25: 1–2ft, 14s period, rated Poor. Skip the dawn patrol — 1-2ft and poor early on. Afternoon shapes up better with 1-2ft and poor - fair conditions.
Tue, May 26: 2–3ft, 16s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on W swell at 13s with 8mph NW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 15mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Wed, May 27: 7–7ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 7ft waves on WNW swell at 13s and moderate WNW wind around 8mph. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Thu, May 28: 3–4ft, 21s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 5ft waves on WNW swell at 11s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Fri, May 29: 5–5ft, 16s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on WNW swell at 16s and calm winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 8mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
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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.
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 15.4s swell period. Wind is SSW at 3mph 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 1.6ft WNW primary swell at 9s, a 1.3ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 1.2ft WNW tertiary swell at 15s. 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 Thursday from 9 AM to 12 PM with 5ft waves, a 20.15s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - 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.
