Capitola jetty
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 9 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,033kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 885kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 395kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,305kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,827kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 648kJ
- Wind
- N 1 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,521kJ
- Wind
- SE 1 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 236, too small
- Tue 342, too small
- Wed 472, good
- Thu 520, too small
- Fri 676, good
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 841, too small
- Mon 976, good
- Tue 1062, good
- Wed 1172, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 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 | 36, too small | 5 ft15 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,221kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 42, too small | 6 ft14 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,033kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 72, good | 8 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 885kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 20, too small | 5 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 395kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 76, good | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,305kJ | offshorewind from the north, 2 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 9 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,827kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 41, too small | 6 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 648kJ | offshorewind from the north, 1 knot, offshore | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 76, good | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,521kJ | wind from the south-east, 1 knot | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 62, good | 8 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,681kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 72, good | 8 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,296kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 19°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
Capitola jetty 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 Capitola jetty
More surf near here
5 places
- Santa Cruz - 41st privates 1.2 km away
- The Hook 2 km away
- Pleasure Point 2.4 km away
- Seacliff Beach 2.9 km away
- Santa Cruz - RockView St 3.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Capitola jetty
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (185°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (5°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 72). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 Capitola, 0.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 11 surf spots.
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$1,150–US$2,090 each
about US$1,150–US$2,090 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 2 November 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$537 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$101–US$168 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$1,150–US$2,090 |
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 · 23 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Capitola its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Seacliff on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Live Oak on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 9 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 20m
About 7h 20m 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.