Santa Cruz County, California
Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with barely a breath of wind.
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Seabright Beach for the cleanest windows.
Poor today — get one free email when Seabright Beach turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Seabright 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.
Wed, Jul 22: 1–2ft, 10s period, rated Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with barely a breath of wind.
Thu, Jul 23: 1–2ft, 14s period, rated Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with glassy conditions.
Fri, Jul 24: 1–2ft, 23s period, rated Poor. Aim for the middle of the day — 1-2ft on SSW swell at 11s with glassy conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Sat, Jul 25: 1–2ft, 22s period, rated Poor. The sweet spot is around midday — 1-2ft waves, light SE winds, poor - fair conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning. Don't wait too long — the wind comes back up after lunch.
Sun, Jul 26: 0–1ft, 20s period, rated Very Poor. 0-1ft waves to start the day on SSW swell at 12s. The SSW wind builds to around 8mph by afternoon.
Check Seabright Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Seabright is a long exposed beach break just east of the Santa Cruz Harbor jetty. The jetty influences sand movement and shapes shifting sandbar peaks, with the best conditions on a combo NW/S swell. It is the closest spot to town but sees a fraction of the Pleasure Point crowd, making it a solid everyday option for intermediates.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Seabright Beach is 1-2ft with a 7.95s swell period. Wind is N at 2mph and conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Seabright Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 3.3ft SSW primary swell at 12s, a 0.9ft SSW secondary swell at 17s, a 1.5ft S tertiary swell at 8s, a 2.7ft S wind swell swell at 5s. 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 Seabright Beach is Friday from 7 AM to 10 AM with 1ft waves, a 13.4s swell period, and conditions rated Poor - Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Seabright Beach works best with a S 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 Seabright 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.
Seabright Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Seabright is a long exposed beach break just east of the Santa Cruz Harbor jetty. The jetty influences sand movement and shapes shifting sandbar peaks, with the best conditions on a combo NW/S swell. It is the closest spot to town but sees a fraction of the Pleasure Point crowd, making it a solid everyday option for intermediates.
The prime season at Seabright 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 Seabright Beach include rip currents, cold water, jetty boat traffic, shifting sandbars. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Seabright 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).
