Santa Cruz - Sunny Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
68Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 10: 8 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,010kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 503kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,674kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,492kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 874kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,202kJ
- Wind
- SSE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 10 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,556kJ
- Wind
- WNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 337, poor
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 535, too small
- Fri 672, good
- Sat 771, good
- Sun 861, good
- Mon 971, good
- Tue 1073, good
- Wed 1175, good
- Thu 1245, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 37, poor | 7 ft12 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,283kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 8 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 1,010kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 35, too small | 6 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 503kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 72, good | 9 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,674kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 71, good | 10 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,492kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 61, good | 7 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 874kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 71, good | 10 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,202kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 73, good | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,556kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 75, good | 9 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,998kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 45, fair | 8 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,207kJ | wind from the south-west, 5 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
- 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
- Thu 5 NovLow 00:56 −0.6 mHigh 07:21 +0.8 mLow 13:54 −0.7 mHigh 19:59 +0.4 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
Santa Cruz - Sunny Cove 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 Santa Cruz - Sunny Cove
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More surf near here
5 places
- Santa Maria's 0.2 km away
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- 26th Ave. 0.9 km away
- Murph Bar 1 km away
- Harbor mouth 1.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Santa Cruz - Sunny Cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (197°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (17°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 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, 3.9 km away (9 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 3 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$536 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$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
4 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 Capitola on Booking.com
5 min by car · 23 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Cruz on Booking.com
9 min by car · 84 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 3 November 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.