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Blacks
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 8 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft15 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,455kJ
- Wind
- W 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tue 3 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 1,040kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 977kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 326kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,546kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,227kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 770kJ
- Wind
- ESE 0 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 239, too small
- Tue 339, poor
- Wed 467, good
- Thu 527, too small
- Fri 674, good
- Sat 770, good
- Sun 852, fair
- Mon 975, good
- Tue 1058, fair
- Wed 1167, good
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
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 39, too small | 6 ft15 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,455kJ | wind from the west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 39, poor | 7 ft11 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,040kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 67, good | 8 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 977kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 27, too small | 6 ft8 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 326kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 74, good | 9 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,546kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 70, good | 9 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,227kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 52, fair | 6 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 770kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 0 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 75, good | 9 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,814kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 58, fair | 9 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,032kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 67, good | 9 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,450kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 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 experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Blacks
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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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
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 · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.