United States · California

Cowell's Beach

Santa Cruz · beach break
About

Santa Cruz's most iconic beginner break — long, slow rides in a protected corner.

Beginners

The classic California longboarding beginner spot.

Intermediate

Small clean days offer very long rides — busy line-up.

Today's forecast

Hour by hour

Marine · open-meteo-marine
Weather · open-meteo-weather
Tide data via noaa· station Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay (0.7 km away)
00:00
1.6 m
11 km/h
02:00
1.5 m
3 km/h
04:00
1.4 m
6 km/h
06:00
1.4 m
3 km/h
08:00
1.3 m
5 km/h
10:00
1.3 m
1 km/h
12:00
1.2 m
3 km/h
14:00
1.2 m
4 km/h
16:00
1.1 m
7 km/h
18:00
1.1 m
11 km/h
20:00
1.1 m
13 km/h
22:00
1.2 m
19 km/h
Tide extremes (estimated)
High · 02:10
Low · 09:54
High · 16:54
Low · 20:21

Safety at a glance

Very safe; watch out for the crowd on peak weekends.

Rip risk
low
Rocks/reef
low
Shore break
low
Tidal cut-off
low
Lifeguard cover: Seasonal RNLI cover in peak months

Recent community reports

No reports yet in the last 24 hours. Be the first — tap "Report conditions".

Water quality

No matched bathing water for this area. An admin can attach one from the surf-area editor.

Conditions preferences
Preferred swell: W, NW
Preferred wind: N, NE
Poor wind: W
Preferred tide: mid
Typical water temp: 14 °C
Local businesses

Lessons & hire nearby

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Surfmatics

A planning aid, not a safety authority. Conditions change quickly — assess locally and follow lifeguard and official advice.