Santa Cruz County, California
Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly very poor with barely a breath of wind.
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Mavericks for the cleanest windows.
Very Poor today — get one free email when Mavericks turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Mavericks, 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.
Wed, Jul 22: 1–2ft, 11s period, rated Very Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly very poor with barely a breath of wind.
Thu, Jul 23: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on SSW swell at 14s with 10mph NNW winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Fri, Jul 24: 1–2ft, 24s period, rated Very Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 0-1ft and mostly very poor with strong NNW wind at 15mph.
Sat, Jul 25: 1–2ft, 22s period, rated Very Poor. Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and very poor with 9mph WNW winds.
Sun, Jul 26: 1–2ft, 20s period, rated Very Poor. Skip the dawn patrol — 1-2ft and very poor early on. Later in the day looks more promising — 1-2ft and very poor.
Check Mavericks from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Mavericks is one of the most dangerous big-wave spots on the planet, a right-hand reef off Pillar Point that only turns on for serious W to NW swells with long periods (17+ seconds). The wave throws over a jagged reef into extreme cold water shared by white sharks, and a successful session typically requires a jet-ski, a safety crew, and years of big-wave experience. Strictly for verified big-wave surfers.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Mavericks is 1-2ft with a 8.3s swell period. Wind is W at 7mph and conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Mavericks is 1-2ft, produced by a 4.2ft SSW primary swell at 8s, a 1.8ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 0.6ft W tertiary swell at 12s, a 0.6ft NW wind swell swell at 8s. 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 Mavericks is Sunday from 1 PM to 4 PM with 1ft waves, a 19.05s swell period, and conditions rated Poor. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Mavericks works best with a WNW swell and E 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 Mavericks. 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.
Mavericks is a reef with a reef bottom, suited to expert surfers. Mavericks is one of the most dangerous big-wave spots on the planet, a right-hand reef off Pillar Point that only turns on for serious W to NW swells with long periods (17+ seconds). The wave throws over a jagged reef into extreme cold water shared by white sharks, and a successful session typically requires a jet-ski, a safety crew, and years of big-wave experience. Strictly for verified big-wave surfers.
The prime season at Mavericks 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 Mavericks include huge surf, shallow reef, cold water, strong currents, sharks, jet-ski traffic. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Mavericks 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).
