Stormrider Guide to surfing Santa Cruz Town - West Side

Central California, USA, NORTH AMERICA

Steamer Lane, Rob Gilley

Summary

+ Wide swell window	- Cold water year-round
+ Spot variety	- Extremely crowded
+ Frequently offshore	- No south wind spots
+ Convenient and easy	- Great white sharks

Two California beach towns are forever squabbling over the right to each call themselves “Surf City.” Huntington Beach has miles of ho-hum beachbreak surf and plenty of people, but Santa Cruz has a huge variety of surf spots and perhaps the finest set-up of any zone on the West Coast. Hence, plenty of surfers. Situated just inside the northern point of the half circle of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz enjoys all the benefits of a southern exposure, yet W, NW, and N swells wrap into the town and fire on several reefs, points, and beachbreaks. For surfers, the rocky green coastline around Santa Cruz is a cold-water paradise that more than deserves the title Surf City. Situated about 120km (75mi) south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz has a somewhat unique beach-town vibe but rampant gentrification and an increasing population. Millions live in the Bay Area cities to the north and east.

When to Go

NW swells come from lows off the Aleutian Islands (Oct-Mar), ranging in size from 3-20ft. Early and late summer will see frequent 2-8ft W swells originating far out in the western Pacific or as short distance windswells developing just offshore. Summer (July-Oct) surf can originate from either SW groundswells or hurricanes off Mexico. Waves can occasionally reach 10ft, but average 2-6ft. Check the harbour buoy or NOAA 46042 on the internet for the latest swell size. Dominant winds are NW-N year-round, varying from 40% of the time in Jan to 70% of the time in June; it blows the strongest in spring. Because Santa Cruz town faces south, prevailing winds are frequently offshore or cross-off. Town spots are generally better with lower tides.

Surf Spots

The West Side of Santa Cruz town forms a series of points with a number of quality right reefs and a few pockets of beachbreak. The waves are usually punchy and can hold real size. Many spots have thick kelp beds that dampen the prevailing NW wind and smooth out the waves. Natural Bridges is a heavy righthand reef with a shallow bowl section over the inside rock ledge called “The Sidewalk.” A dangerous high-intensity spot and not for beginners. Needs a low to medium tide with a clean NW swell and can handle up to a few feet overhead. Stockton Avenue hosts small, perfect righthand barrels made famous in the surf media as “Weasel Reef.” The tiny take-off zone and aggressive locals make it nearly impossible for outsiders to get waves. Best during S-SW swells with low tides. Closes-Lane out as it exceeds headhigh size. One of the best spots in the county when the sections connect, Mitchell’s Cove is a classic righthand pointbreak/sandbar set-up best during large, clean W to N swells and low incoming tides. Gets hollow, fast and crowded. On a big W swell at mid tide ✪Steamer Lane can be ridden all the way around the point, into Cowells Beach and on towards the Municipal Pier – almost a mile! This collection of high-quality kelp covered reefs and points break in any swell at any size, while being sheltered from the prevailing NW winds, making it a contender for most consistently crowded line-up in the country. There are four distinct spots. The farthest out is The Point, where hollow, thick rights rumble into life when it’s on. Tight and hyper competitive take-off zone. Will accept any swell, but it’s best on a S with medium-low tide to avoid backwash. The Slot also prefers lower tides on a W swell to bounce up some wedgy righthanders close to the cliff and is a good spot for tube rides or aerials, as it tends to close-out a bit. Straight out from the access stairs are several reefs, collectively called Middle Peak, then subdivided into First, Second, and Third reefs. Best during N-NW swells, each reef works at a different size, but each boast heavy elevator drops followed by a softer righthand shoulder. The lefts, however, are usually steeper and hollower, but they can leave you caught inside by the next set as Middle Peak shifts around alot, keeping the pack on the move. Further inside the headland is the heavily surfed, great hotdog wave Indicators. When swell and tide are perfect, it’s a long, classic righthand point wave with a gaggle of speed sections and lips ripe for shortboard tricks. Best with a lined-up W-NW swell and medium-low tide. Cowells is a long, slow, mushy sand-bottomed point wave inside of Indicators, suitable for longboarding and beginners. Takes any bigger swell and works on all tides, frequently splitting into subsections that accommodate generous numbers of surfers. The best wave is usually closest to the cliff. The San Lorenzo Rivermouth is in the centre of town near the amusement park and, (depending on the rain and thus sandbar build-up) can turn on magic peaks. Beachbreaks east of the rivermouth can be classic. The Harbor also gets a sand build-up that creates a short, sucking barrel right off the south jetty, usually posted ‘No Surfing,’ but surfers will be surfers. 26th Avenue represents the town’s beachbreak action with a bit of rock reef thrown in for interest, culminating in the rocky reef peak at Little Windansea off the end of Rockview Street. Good spots during springtime SW-NW windswells and small summer S swells. The East Side scene is concentrated around the long righthanders of Pleasure Point, one of the most famous and popular spots in California due to its reliability, expanse, and frequent good shape, smoothed by the forests of kelp. Several take-off spots, the first being Sewer Peak, a top-to-bottom barrel over a rock shelf. The lefts can be decent, but the rights are generally cleaner and longer. Heavily surfed by excellent shortboarders. Best with S and W swells and low tide. Next comes First Peak, a quality righthander that’s very predictable and very crowded, because it is surfable on a variety of swell angles and tides. Fun on a big day when it’s makeable all the way through to Insides. Moving further down the point, there’s Second Peak, less of a peak and more of a lined-up wall than First Peak. Not as stellar, but it does have its day. Popular with the grommet pack. Directly out in front of Jack O’Neill’s house is Insides (aka, Middle Peak), a mushy reef peak occupied with longboarder cruisers and beginners. Some rocks on the inside; best with lower mid tides to minimise backwash, but choked with kelp on bigger low tides. The Hook is yet another excellent fast, hollow righthander. Best on lower tides and S swells up to a few feet overhead as NW swells lose a bit of size. The inside section can continue on and wrap into Sharks Cove which can also have a short left. Beside the wharf, Beer Can Beach is a decent beachbreak, best during small, clean, peaky swells with high tide. If there has been sufficient rainfall, Capitola can provide a decent rivermouth wave. The Jetty, next to the river, has a good sandbank with small punchy rights. Like all Santa Cruz breaks, there is always potential for a crowd. Perfect for improvers and longboarders. Manresa State Beach is a popular summertime beachbreak expanse; gets very crowded. Wicked littoral currents and shorepound. Closes-out easily. High tide and no wind best; peaky swells are the go.

Statistics

dominant swell

W -NW

W -SW

W -NW

swell size (ft)

4-5

consistency (%)

dominant wind

NW -N

average force

F4-F5

consistency (%)

water temp (C)

wetsuit

4/3

3/2

4/3

Travel Information

Weather
The town area of Santa Cruz is a bit wetter than Southern California, but it’s not fully exposed to the oceanic patterns of Northern California, like north of town is. Facing south and sheltered from N winds, Santa Cruz has a warmer micro-climate. Winters are mild and freezing temperatures are rare unless the bitter N winds blow. Spring is a weird time, often hazy (due to the difference between air and sea temperatures) with lots of wind but, like summer, it’s sunny and dry. Autumn has nice weather and usually many swells. Because of the Monterey submarine canyon creating upwellings, the water remains cold year-round, always requiring a light steamer and occasionally a winter 4/3mm. O’Neill wetsuits were born in San Francisco in 1952 and moved to Santa Cruz in 1959.

Lodging and Food
There are dorm rooms (Carmelita Cottage) for around $30, but a motel room by the beach is $70-250 (Super 8, Dream Inn, Coastview Inn, Motel 6, Pacific Blue). There are dozens of options. Fast food is cheap ($10-15/meal), but restaurants are pretty expensive. Try the locally grown artichokes.

Nature and Culture
Visit the Lighthouse Surf Museum or the Shakespeare Santa Cruz Museum. Tour the university or hike in the redwoods. Take a stroll along the Wharf or the beach boardwalk. Santa Cruz has some cool nightlife, ranging from dive bars to proper nightclubs; check out the Catalyst, Moe’s Alley, Motiv, Blue Lagoon, etc. The Swift/Ingalls Street Courtyard is a hip hangout with lots of shops and eateries.