Located in Santa Cruz in Central California, The Hook is a fun reef/point wave that peels across a rock and sand bottom. The waves here can be a little tricky but break for up to 300 meters, providing great sections for turns and hacks. Be aware that this spot is heavily localized, even for Santa Cruz. Do not surf here unless you are competent, from the area, or very good at being out of the way. Even if you follow these guidelines, you will probably still be yelled at multiple times in the water.
What are the best surf conditions for The Hook?
Gets good on a large swell with some South in it, between head high and triple overhead. Only bring a shortboard here, not only is the wave not suited to longboards, the locals will kick you out of the water if you paddle out on a longboard. The waves here are best suited to intermediate and advanced surfers. The surf here is pretty consistent but doesn’t get amazing often (6/10). There will always be a crew on it, the spot is super localized (6/10). The best swells come from the South and Southwest. The best winds are from the East, North, and Northeast. Works best on a low to mid-tide.
We recommend wearing a 4/3 here in the summer when water temps rise to 15 degrees. In the winter a 5/4 could be the call when water temperatures fall to 12 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
