SE Surf

Waddell Beach (County of Santa Cruz)

California · United States

IntermediateBeach break37.093, -122.277

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A april–october beach on the Gulf of California near California, Waddell Beach (County of Santa Cruz) is exposed to SW swell — S–NW on the forecast is when it lights up, ideally with a NE–E wind.

10-day forecast

Local time · updates hourly

Wave height & period

HeightPeriod

Wind

SpeedGusts
TimeRatingWavesSwellWindAir

Water temperature by month

This month: ~14.9°C (58.8°F) on average

Jan

12.2°C

54°F · 11–13.7°C

Feb

12.1°C

53.8°F · 10.3–14.5°C

Mar

12.2°C

54°F · 10.1–14.6°C

Apr

12°C

53.6°F · 10.5–13.8°C

May

12°C

53.6°F · 10.4–14.1°C

Jun

13.1°C

55.6°F · 10.9–15.1°C

Jul

14.1°C

57.4°F · 12.3–17.1°C

Aug

14.8°C

58.6°F · 11.9–17.5°C

Sep

14.9°C

58.8°F · 13–17.1°C

Oct

14.2°C

57.6°F · 12.3–17.1°C

Nov

13.8°C

56.8°F · 11.5–15.7°C

Dec

12.7°C

54.9°F · 11.2–15.6°C

25-year monthly averages from the NOAA OISST satellite record — typical range min–max, not a live reading.

Know before you go

Best swell

S–NW

Best wind

NE–E

Break type

Beach break

Best season

April–October

Safety: Friendly by surf standards, but rip currents and drop-in etiquette still apply. Shifting sandbars create moving rip currents — learn to spot them and use them to get out back. Sharks are part of the ecosystem here — avoid dawn, dusk and murky rivermouth water.

Nearby spots

More beaches in California →see all spots in California, United States

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