Santa Cruz County, California
Early morning is your best window — 3-4+ft waves on SSW swell at 10s with glassy conditions.
Best window·Friday 12PM–3PM·2-3+ft·Fair
Poor - Fair today — get one free email when Privates turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Privates, 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: 3–4+ft, 10s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 3-4+ft waves on SSW swell at 10s with glassy conditions. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Thu, Jul 23: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Expect 2-3ft all day on SSW swell at 14s with glassy conditions — nothing amazing but surfable.
Fri, Jul 24: 2–3+ft, 23s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on SSW swell at 13s with glassy conditions. Onshore flow builds through the day to 6mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Sat, Jul 25: 1–2ft, 22s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on S swell at 12s with barely a breath of wind. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 6mph from the S and dropping conditions to poor.
Sun, Jul 26: 2–3ft, 20s period, rated Poor - Fair. Midday is the call — 2-3ft waves with calm winds and fair conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down. Afternoon wind picks back up so try to get wet before 2pm.
Check Privates from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Privates is a quality right-hand reef break just east of The Hook, accessed through the gated Opal Cliffs Recreation District (membership key required, which gave it its name). The gate filters the crowd to a manageable level by Santa Cruz standards and the wave is a serious step up from The Hook — longer, faster, and breaking over bouldery reef. Without a key, you are paddling from 41st Ave.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Privates is 2-3+ft with a 8.1s swell period. Wind is SSW at 5mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Privates is 2-3+ft, produced by a 3.4ft SSW primary swell at 8s, a 2ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 1ft SW tertiary swell at 12s, a 1ft 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 Privates is Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM with 3ft waves, a 13.4s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Privates 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 Privates. 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.
Privates is a reef with a reef bottom, suited to advanced surfers. Privates is a quality right-hand reef break just east of The Hook, accessed through the gated Opal Cliffs Recreation District (membership key required, which gave it its name). The gate filters the crowd to a manageable level by Santa Cruz standards and the wave is a serious step up from The Hook — longer, faster, and breaking over bouldery reef. Without a key, you are paddling from 41st Ave.
The prime season at Privates 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 Privates include rocks, reef, cold water, localism, gated access. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Privates 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).
