Santa Cruz County, California
Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on S swell at 15s and 13mph from the NW.
Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on S swell at 15s and 13mph from the NW.
Best window·Monday 7AM–10AM·4-5ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Scott Creek, 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: 4–6ft, 15s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on S swell at 15s and 13mph from the NW. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 24mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 4–5ft, 15s period, rated Fair - Good. Aim for the middle of the day — 4-5ft on S swell at 14s with moderate NW wind around 8mph. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up.
Tue, Sep 8: 4–5ft, 12s period, rated Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-5ft on S swell at 12s with light N winds. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 10mph and poor by then.
Wed, Sep 9: 2–3+ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3+ft waves on S swell at 11s with light winds out of the NW. The NW wind kicks in by afternoon — 16mph and very poor by then.
Thu, Sep 10: 3–4ft, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 3-4ft with 8mph NW 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.
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Check Scott Creek from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Scott Creek is a remote North Coast beach break tucked between headlands about fourteen miles north of Santa Cruz. It picks up any W to NW swell and can produce hollow, playful peaks at the creek-mouth sandbar, but exposure to NW wind and a notoriously sharky reputation keep crowds thin. Best on a clean morning after a solid swell fills in.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Scott Creek is 4-5ft with a 15.4s 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 Scott Creek is 4-5ft, produced by a 4.1ft S primary swell at 15s, a 3ft NW secondary swell at 9s, a 2.2ft SSW tertiary swell at 11s, a 2.1ft NW wind swell swell at 4s, 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 Scott Creek is Monday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 4ft waves, a 14.4s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Scott Creek 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 Scott Creek. 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.
Scott Creek is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Scott Creek is a remote North Coast beach break tucked between headlands about fourteen miles north of Santa Cruz. It picks up any W to NW swell and can produce hollow, playful peaks at the creek-mouth sandbar, but exposure to NW wind and a notoriously sharky reputation keep crowds thin. Best on a clean morning after a solid swell fills in.
The prime season at Scott Creek 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 Scott Creek include rip currents, cold water, sharks, strong winds, limited access. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Scott Creek 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).
