Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, CA

MapBeginner-friendlyLive · -

7h 38m of daylight left

Sunset at 3:25 AM

Today is the peak

Don't wait — score 10.0 during the 10 AM–11 AM window. Tomorrow doesn't beat it.

GOGo surf

9.1/ 10 · Clean

Best time to ride

1 AM–2 AM

Next 12 hours

Strong window — worth the effort.

Clean swell
Tide window opening

Conditions

Wave

3.2 ft→

Sweet spot 3–12 ft

Period

16s→

Sweet spot 11–18 s

Wind

7 mph SW→

Side-on

Tide

Next · Low 05:39 AM

Session plan

Go surf

Strong window — worth the effort.

Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, CA · Beginner-friendly

Peak window

1 AM–2 AM

Avg score 10.0/10

Why this score

Tide will shift conditions soon.

Wave height3.2 ft

Swell period16s

WindSide-on 7 mph

Current: 3.2 ft @ 16s • 7 mph wind. wave height is in a sweet spot for this spot period is strong, adding good push to the sets light wind is keeping things clean wind direction is fighting the banks and shape

Next 12 hours

Peak window 1 AM–2 AM

Today's read·Auto-generated from the forecast

Chest-high sets on a 16-second swell — strong day. Go now — the 1 AM–2 AM window is the peak.

8 PM

9.13.2ft

9 PM

9.13.3ft

10 PM

9.13.4ft

11 PM

9.13.4ft

12 AM

9.13.5ft

1 AM

10.03.6ft

2 AM

10.03.6ft

3 AM

10.03.7ft

4 AM

10.03.6ft

5 AM

10.03.6ft

6 AM

10.03.6ft

7 AM

10.03.5ft

Sunrise 1:02 PM Sunset 3:25 AM

Next 5 days

Best window

Best this week

10.0/10

Saturday, Jul 18 • 10 AM–11 AM

Wave 3.2 ft

Period 17s

Wind max 7 mph

Temp 56–65°F

Saturday, Jul 18

10.0 / 10

Best: 10 AM–11 AM

Wave: 3.2 ft

Period: 17s

Wind max: 7 mph

Sunday, Jul 19

10.0 / 10

Best: 10 AM–11 AM

Wave: 3.3 ft

Period: 15s

Wind max: 7 mph

Monday, Jul 20

9.5 / 10

Best: 10 AM–11 AM

Wave: 3.5 ft

Period: 13s

Wind max: 9 mph

Tuesday, Jul 21

8.5 / 10

Best: 10 AM–11 AM

Wave: 3.6 ft

Period: 13s

Wind max: 7 mph

Wednesday, Jul 22

8.5 / 10

Best: 10 AM–11 AM

Wave: 3.5 ft

Period: 10s

Wind max: 9 mph

Day	Best window	Score	Wave	Period	Wind max	Temp
Saturday, Jul 18	10 AM–11 AM	10.0	3.2 ft	17s	7 mph	56–65°F
Sunday, Jul 19	10 AM–11 AM	10.0	3.3 ft	15s	7 mph	55–67°F
Monday, Jul 20	10 AM–11 AM	9.5	3.5 ft	13s	9 mph	56–69°F
Tuesday, Jul 21	10 AM–11 AM	8.5	3.6 ft	13s	7 mph	60–74°F
Wednesday, Jul 22	10 AM–11 AM	8.5	3.5 ft	10s	9 mph	60–76°F

Spot intelWetsuit, hazards & notes

Good for beginners today

Beginner basics

Where to go

There is no beginner area at Steamer Lane — it's a cliff-edge pro spot with cold water, urchins, and a packed lineup. Watch from Lighthouse Point to understand the wave before considering it.

What to avoid

Indicators, Middle Peak, and The Slot on any size. The cliffs are unforgiving and the only way back to shore is up a fixed staircase. Cold water demands a 4/3 wetsuit minimum year-round.

Best beginner conditions

Steamer Lane is never beginner-friendly. For learning in Santa Cruz, head to Cowell's Beach right next door — it's one of California's classic mellow longboard learners.

New to surfing? Read the beginner guide →

Wetsuit

Summer setup

Season-based baseline. Water temp varies week to week.

Full guide

Boardshorts / Bikini

Or 2mm top on windy mornings

2mm Springsuit / Shorty

If you get cold easily

Spot notes

How this break works

Wave type: Right-hand cliffside point — multiple sections (Indicator, Middle Peak, The Slot)
Best swell: W–NW
Best wind: NE (offshore)
Best tide: All tides

Hazards