Spots Nearby
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Pleasure Point:
0.2 km
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26th Avenue:
0.7 km
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The Hook:
1.2 km
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Murph's Bar:
2.0 km
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41st Privates:
2.2 km
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Capitola Jetty:
2.7 km
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Santa Cruz Harbour:
3.5 km
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San Lorenzo Rivermouth:
3.6 km
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Steamer Lane:
4.3 km
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Cowells Cove:
4.4 km
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General Information
Level:0-10 Season:January 1 — December 31 -
This is a really mellow spot, right in the heart of the city and with a fantastic atmosphere. It is suitable for surfers of all abilities, despite having one of the biggest waves in this area.
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Beach
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The beach is small and sandy, with a rock wall behind separating it from the houses and rocky outcrops at either end. This is not a busy or well-known place, and you should have plenty of room to pick your own wave. If you come here in summer you can expect the water temperature to be averaging 15° C, while during the winter it will drop to a low of about 12 or 13° C.
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Wind&Waves
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If the swell is coming from the west, south-west or south then this place will work, regardless of tide position or movement. It will start building at less than 1 m, and reach a maximum of 5 m or more. It breaks very consistently, breaking to the right over a reef, and while the waves are only average in terms of speed they can get pretty big. Length is about average for the County, and you can expect it to be between 50 and 150 m almost all the time.
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Facilities
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There are a few parking spaces at the end of Rockview Drive, and from there it is just a minute or two walk to the beach. You don't get any facilities on the beach itself, but Santa Cruz has plenty of choice when it comes to finding restaurants, bars, places to stay or things to do when you aren't surfing.
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Safety
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Be aware that at low tide you will only have a few inches of water over the rocky bottom. At other times, keep an eye out for submerged rocks anyway.