.jpg){kind=link}
Blacks
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 smushy
- Energy
- 1,201kJ
- Wind
- SSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 999kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 381kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,322kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,284kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 511kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,107kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 241, too small
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 534, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 828, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 41, too small | 3 ft13 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 303kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft13 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,201kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 999kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, poor | 4 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 381kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,322kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,284kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, poor | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 511kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,107kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,158kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:25 +0.5 mLow 10:43 −0.1 mHigh 16:15 +0.5 mLow 23:15 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:08 +0.6 mLow 12:00 −0.3 mHigh 17:40 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:08 −0.8 mHigh 06:46 +0.7 mLow 13:01 −0.5 mHigh 18:54 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Blacks on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Blacks
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
More surf near here
5 places
- Santa Cruz - Sunny Cove 0.3 km away
- Santa Maria's 0.6 km away
- Murph Bar 0.7 km away
- Harbor mouth 0.8 km away
- 26th Ave. 1.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Blacks
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (194°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (14°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 42). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Santa Cruz, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 15 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$536 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,170 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Live Oak its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Santa Cruz on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 84 places to stay
- Beds in Capitola on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 23 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SJC, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → SJC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.