Santa Cruz County, California
Get out early for the best of it — 4-6ft waves on SSW swell at 12s and moderate NW wind around 10mph.
Get out early for the best of it — 4-6ft waves on SSW swell at 12s and moderate NW wind around 10mph.
Best window·Monday 7AM–10AM·4-6ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Four Mile Beach, 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.
Sun, Sep 6: 6–7ft, 14s period, rated Very Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on SSW swell at 12s and moderate NW wind around 10mph. Onshore flow builds through the day to 23mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 4–6ft, 15s period, rated Good. First light looks cleanest — 4-6ft on S swell at 15s with light winds out of the NW. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 15mph and poor by then.
Tue, Sep 8: 4–5ft, 12s period, rated Good. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on S swell at 12s and light winds out of the N. Onshore flow builds through the day to 10mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Wed, Sep 9: 3–4ft, 11s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 3-4ft waves on S swell at 11s with light NW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 16mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Thu, Sep 10: 4–5ft, 12s period, rated Fair - Good. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on SSW swell at 12s with moderate NW wind around 8mph. The NW wind kicks in by afternoon — 21mph and very poor by then.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Four Mile Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Four Mile is a legendary right-hand point/reef about four miles north of Santa Cruz, inside Wilder Ranch State Park. On clean WNW swells it produces long, fast, wrapping walls over a cobblestone-and-reef bottom, drawing crowds of experienced surfers up the coast. A long walk from the highway pullout and a steep trail keep the casual crowd out but not the locals.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Four Mile Beach is 4-6ft with a 15.5s swell period. Wind is NNW at 4mph. Conditions are rated Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Four Mile Beach is 4-6ft, produced by a 3.3ft SSW primary swell at 16s, a 3ft NW secondary swell at 9s, a 2.8ft NW wind swell swell at 4s, a 2ft SSW tertiary swell at 11s, a 1ft WNW tertiary swell at 13s. 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 Four Mile Beach is Monday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 5ft waves, a 14.7s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Four Mile Beach 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 Four Mile Beach. 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.
Four Mile Beach is a point with a reef bottom, suited to advanced surfers. Four Mile is a legendary right-hand point/reef about four miles north of Santa Cruz, inside Wilder Ranch State Park. On clean WNW swells it produces long, fast, wrapping walls over a cobblestone-and-reef bottom, drawing crowds of experienced surfers up the coast. A long walk from the highway pullout and a steep trail keep the casual crowd out but not the locals.
The prime season at Four Mile Beach is winter, 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 Four Mile Beach include rocks, reef, cold water, localism, sharks. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Four Mile Beach 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. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
