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Waddell Creek
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 9 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,649kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,437kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 820kJ
- Wind
- NW 9 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,215kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,345kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 900kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,023kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 372, good
- Wed 475, good
- Thu 547, fair
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 867, good
- Mon 967, good
- Tue 1073, good
- Wed 1159, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Oct–Nov2 good days in 7
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 | 72, good | 7 ft14 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,649kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 75, good | 9 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 1,437kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 47, fair | 6 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 820kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 9 ft12 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 2,215kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 10 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 2,345kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 67, good | 7 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 900kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 67, good | 10 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 2,023kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 73, good | 8 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,413kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 59, fair | 10 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,851kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:09 +0.6 mLow 12:02 −0.3 mHigh 17:42 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:09 −0.8 mHigh 06:48 +0.7 mLow 13:04 −0.5 mHigh 18:57 +0.5 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 00:57 −0.6 mHigh 07:24 +0.8 mLow 13:56 −0.8 mHigh 20:02 +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.
Best time to go
best Oct–Nov
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
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 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
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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, its town, photos
Waddell Creek 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 Waddell Creek
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More surf near here
5 places
- Ano Nuevo 3.7 km away
- Gazos Creek 10.8 km away
- Pigeon Point 14.1 km away
- Tunitas Creek 30.9 km away
- Martins beach 33.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Waddell Creek
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (221°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (41°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 36). 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 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pescadero. Within 5 km we also list 3 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$2,080 each
about US$1,150–US$2,080 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$161 |
| 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$2,080 |
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
25 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Pescadero its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Santa Cruz on Booking.com
28 min by car · 84 places to stay
- Beds in Live Oak on Booking.com
34 min by car · 9 places to stay
Nearest beds: Pescadero, 20 km (25 min by car)
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.