North of Santa Cruz on Highway 1 in Central California, Waddell Creek is a fun beach break that crashes over-sand. There are bits of rocky reef scattered up and down that anchor the sandbars. The waves here are pretty easy to surf and break for up to 100 meters providing sections for turns, hacks, and barrels when it’s good.
What are the best surf conditions for Waddell Creek?
Gets good between chest high and overhead on a punchy mid-size swell. Waddell Creek is open to all levels of surfer, just be aware of the swell size. One thing to keep in mind with Waddell Creek is that it really needs minimal wind. It gets torn up quickly and then the windsurfers take over. The surf here is decently consistent (5/10) but will probably have a crew on it when it’s good (6/10). The best winds come from the East or Northeast. The best tides are mid to high. The best swells come from the Southwest or West.
We recommend wearing a 4/3 in the summer when the water temperatures rise to 15 degrees. In the winter a 5/4 is the attire of choice when the water temperature drops to 12 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.