Santa Cruz County, California
Afternoon is the play — morning is only fair at 3-4+ft.
Best window·Thursday 3PM–6PM·3-4ft·Good
Scoring Fair - Good? Get a free email before the next one fires.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Waddell 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.
Wed, Jul 22: 3–4+ft, 10s period, rated Fair. Afternoon is the play — morning is only fair at 3-4+ft. Later in the day looks more promising — 3-4+ft and fair.
Thu, Jul 23: 3–4ft, 14s period, rated Good. Looking good out there — 3-4ft all day on SSW swell at 14s with 8mph NNW winds. Afternoon breeze fills in to 16mph.
Fri, Jul 24: 2–3+ft, 23s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3+ft waves on S swell at 13s and 10mph from the NNW. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 14mph from the NW and dropping conditions to poor.
Sat, Jul 25: 2–3+ft, 22s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3+ft waves on S swell at 12s and moderate NNW wind around 8mph. Onshore flow builds through the day to 14mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Sun, Jul 26: 3–4ft, 20s period, rated Poor - Fair. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 3-4ft with gentle NNW breeze. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down. Afternoon wind picks back up so try to get wet before 2pm.
Check Waddell Creek from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Waddell Creek is an exposed beach break at the creek mouth where Highway 1 meets the coast, best known for relentless afternoon NW wind that has made it a legendary kite- and windsurfing spot. Mornings can deliver punchy, cold peaks that handle plenty of size from NW swells, while the creek-mouth sandbar shifts throughout the year and produces both lefts and rights.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Waddell Creek is 3-4ft with a 8.15s swell period. Wind is WNW at 11mph and conditions are rated Fair - Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Waddell Creek is 3-4ft, produced by a 4.6ft SSW primary swell at 8s, a 2.4ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 1ft WNW 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 Waddell Creek is Thursday from 3 PM to 6 PM with 3ft waves, a 13.95s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Waddell 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 Waddell 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.
Waddell Creek is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Waddell Creek is an exposed beach break at the creek mouth where Highway 1 meets the coast, best known for relentless afternoon NW wind that has made it a legendary kite- and windsurfing spot. Mornings can deliver punchy, cold peaks that handle plenty of size from NW swells, while the creek-mouth sandbar shifts throughout the year and produces both lefts and rights.
The prime season at Waddell 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 Waddell Creek include strong winds, rip currents, cold water, sharks, kiteboarding traffic. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Waddell 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).
