Santa Cruz County, California
Early morning is your best window — 3-4+ft waves on SSW swell at 10s with barely a breath of wind.
Best window·Friday 11AM–2PM·3-4ft·Good
Poor today — get one free email when The Hook turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at The Hook, 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: 4–5ft, 10s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 3-4+ft waves on SSW swell at 10s with barely a breath of wind. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Thu, Jul 23: 2–3+ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3+ft on SSW swell at 14s with glassy conditions. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Fri, Jul 24: 2–3+ft, 23s period, rated Fair. Afternoon is the play — morning is only fair at 2-3ft. Later in the day looks more promising — 2-3ft and poor - fair.
Sat, Jul 25: 2–3ft, 22s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on S swell at 12s with barely a breath of wind. The S wind kicks in by afternoon — 6mph and poor - fair by then.
Sun, Jul 26: 2–3ft, 20s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on SW swell at 20s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Check The Hook from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
The Hook sits at the south end of Pleasure Point and is the friendly stepping-stone for surfers moving up from beach breaks. The right-hand reef peels with a long walled-up inside section that rewards patient line choice, and it is one of the busiest waves on the coast on any given morning. Wall-to-wall longboards, mid-lengths and shortboards share a tight take-off zone.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at The Hook is 2-3+ft with a 8.35s swell period. Wind is S at 6mph and conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at The Hook is 2-3+ft, 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 The Hook is Friday from 11 AM to 2 PM with 3ft waves, a 13.45s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
The Hook 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 The Hook. 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.
The Hook is a point with a reef bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. The Hook sits at the south end of Pleasure Point and is the friendly stepping-stone for surfers moving up from beach breaks. The right-hand reef peels with a long walled-up inside section that rewards patient line choice, and it is one of the busiest waves on the coast on any given morning. Wall-to-wall longboards, mid-lengths and shortboards share a tight take-off zone.
The prime season at The Hook 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 The Hook include crowds, longboards, rocks, cold water, stairway access. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our The Hook 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).
