Santa Cruz County, California
First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on S swell at 15s with light ENE winds.
First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on S swell at 15s with light ENE winds.
Best window·Monday 11AM–2PM·2-3+ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Manresa State 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: 2–3ft, 16s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on S swell at 15s with light ENE winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 13mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3+ft, 15s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3+ft waves on S swell at 15s with light winds out of the ENE. The WSW wind kicks in by afternoon — 9mph and poor - fair by then.
Tue, Sep 8: 2–3+ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3+ft waves on S swell at 12s and light winds out of the NNE. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Wed, Sep 9: 2–3ft, 11s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on S swell at 11s with light N winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Thu, Sep 10: 2–3ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Aim for the middle of the day — 2-3ft on SSW swell at 11s with calm winds. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down. Afternoon wind picks back up so try to get wet before 2pm.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Want to score Manresa State Beach? Get a free email before the next one fires.
Check Manresa State Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Manresa is a long wide-open South County beach break roughly twenty-five minutes from Santa Cruz, offering plenty of space to spread out and pick your own peak. It is smaller than the North Coast on average but picks up SW and W swells well, producing forgiving shifting sand peaks ideal for intermediates and fitness sessions. A quiet alternative to the packed town lineups.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Manresa State Beach is 2-3+ft with a 15.4s swell period. Wind is E at 0mph. Conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Manresa State Beach is 2-3+ft, produced by a 3ft SSW primary swell at 15s, a 2.4ft WNW wind swell swell at 4s, a 2.2ft NW tertiary swell at 9s, a 0.8ft W 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 Manresa State Beach is Monday from 11 AM to 2 PM with 3ft waves, a 14.1s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Manresa State Beach works best with a WSW 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 Manresa State 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.
Manresa State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Manresa is a long wide-open South County beach break roughly twenty-five minutes from Santa Cruz, offering plenty of space to spread out and pick your own peak. It is smaller than the North Coast on average but picks up SW and W swells well, producing forgiving shifting sand peaks ideal for intermediates and fitness sessions. A quiet alternative to the packed town lineups.
The prime season at Manresa State Beach 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 Manresa State Beach include rip currents, cold water, shifting sandbars. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Manresa State 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).
