Santa Cruz County, California
Aim for the middle of the day — 2ft on SSW swell at 10s with calm winds.
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Sunset State Beach for the cleanest windows.
Very Poor today — get one free email when Sunset State Beach turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Sunset 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: 2–2ft, 11s period, rated Poor. Aim for the middle of the day — 2ft on SSW swell at 10s with calm winds. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.
Thu, Jul 23: 1–2ft, 14s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on WSW swell at 6s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Fri, Jul 24: 1–1ft, 25s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1ft waves on W swell at 5s with gentle NNE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 7mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor.
Sat, Jul 25: 1–1ft, 22s period, rated Poor. Slim pickings today — 1ft and poor with glassy conditions. Expect the wind to bump up to around 7mph by PM.
Sun, Jul 26: 1–2ft, 20s period, rated Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with glassy conditions. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 7mph.
Check Sunset State Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Sunset State Beach is the southernmost Santa Cruz County beach break, a long uncrowded stretch of sand just north of the county line. It picks up W and SW swells and produces punchy peaks at the right tide, often with the entire beach to yourself on a weekday. A great escape from the Santa Cruz crowds when the swell is right.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Sunset State Beach is 1-2ft with a 8.3s swell period. Wind is SW at 11mph 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 Sunset State Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 1.9ft SSW primary swell at 8s, a 0.8ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 0.5ft WNW tertiary swell at 12s, a 1.2ft WSW wind swell swell at 3s. 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 Sunset State Beach is Monday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 2ft waves, a 17.8s swell period, and conditions rated Poor - Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Sunset 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 Sunset 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.
Sunset State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Sunset State Beach is the southernmost Santa Cruz County beach break, a long uncrowded stretch of sand just north of the county line. It picks up W and SW swells and produces punchy peaks at the right tide, often with the entire beach to yourself on a weekday. A great escape from the Santa Cruz crowds when the swell is right.
The prime season at Sunset 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 Sunset State Beach include rip currents, cold water, remote access. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Sunset 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).
