Santa Cruz County, California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Davenport Landing, Santa Cruz County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Mon, May 25: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Rideable all day with 2-3ft waves on WNW swell at 14s and gentle NNW breeze. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 8mph.
Tue, May 26: 5–5ft, 16s period, rated Poor - Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on W swell at 13s and 14mph out of the NNW. Onshore flow builds through the day to 22mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Wed, May 27: 9–9ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor - fair at 9ft. Later in the day looks more promising — 9ft and poor - fair.
Thu, May 28: 5–5ft, 20s period, rated Fair. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 6ft with glassy conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.
Fri, May 29: 6–6ft, 16s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 6ft waves on WNW swell at 16s with barely a breath of wind. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 13mph and poor - fair by then.
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Davenport Landing is a small cove beach break just north of the town of Davenport, with a sheltering headland that offers some protection from the prevailing NW wind. The cove sand and rock bottom produces short but fun lefts and rights on W-NW swells and it is one of the more accessible North Coast spots. Works across a wide range of swell sizes.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Davenport Landing is 2-3ft with a 14.35s swell period. Wind is NW at 6mph and conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Davenport Landing is 2-3ft, produced by a 2.1ft WNW primary swell at 14s, a 1.7ft WNW secondary swell at 9s, a 1.6ft SSW tertiary swell at 15s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Davenport Landing is Wednesday from 11 AM to 2 PM with 10ft waves, a 12.65s swell period, and conditions rated Very Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Davenport Landing works best with a WNW swell and NE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Davenport Landing. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Davenport Landing is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Davenport Landing is a small cove beach break just north of the town of Davenport, with a sheltering headland that offers some protection from the prevailing NW wind. The cove sand and rock bottom produces short but fun lefts and rights on W-NW swells and it is one of the more accessible North Coast spots. Works across a wide range of swell sizes.
The prime season at Davenport Landing is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Davenport Landing include rocks, cold water, rip currents, sharks. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Davenport Landing forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
