Manresa
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
25Poor 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 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,009kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 859kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 308kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,097kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,846kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 384kJ
- Wind
- SW 2 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 959kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 259, fair
- Tue 330, poor
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 548, fair
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Manresa does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 59, fair | 4 ft16 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 864kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 30, poor | 6 ft14 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,009kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft9 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 859kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 48, fair | 4 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 308kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,097kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,846kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 5 ft9 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 384kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 959kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 999kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 17°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 05:24 +0.5 mLow 10:42 −0.1 mHigh 16:15 +0.6 mLow 23:15 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:07 +0.6 mLow 11:59 −0.3 mHigh 17:39 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:08 −0.8 mHigh 06:45 +0.7 mLow 13:00 −0.5 mHigh 18:53 +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.
Best time to go
best in Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Manresa on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Seacliff Beach 6.2 km away
- Capitola jetty 8.3 km away
- Santa Cruz - 41st privates 8.9 km away
- The Hook 9.3 km away
- Pleasure Point 9.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Manresa
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (226°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (46°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 37). 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). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Aptos, 5.5 km away (about 10 min by car).
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$1,140–US$2,060 each
about US$1,140–US$2,060 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$261–US$536 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$87–US$147 |
| 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$1,140–US$2,060 |
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
10 min by car · 8 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Aptos its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Seacliff on Booking.com
11 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Capitola on Booking.com
16 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 30m
About 7h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 1h by road
Flights ORD → MRY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.