Just north of Santa Cruz in Central California, Scott Creek is a fun reef break that crashes over a rock bottom. The waves here can be difficult to contend with, breaking and barreling for up to 100 meters. The reef here handles size and is best known for its shape on the big winter swells. The beach break on the Southern side is best on smaller southwest swells and will deliver barrels as well.
What are the best surf conditions for Scott Creek?
The reef starts getting good between chest high and double overhead. We recommend a longboard for the beach break on smaller days, and a shortboard or step up for the reef. Scott Creek is best suited to intermediate and advanced surfers. There is usually a wave to surf here (5/10) but it can get pretty crowded on its day (7/10). The best winds come offshore from the East. The breaks work on all tides. The best swells for the reef are big Northwest or West ones, and the best swells for the beach break are small and with a bit of South in them.
We recommend wearing a 4/3 wetsuit in the summer when water temperatures rise to 15 degrees. In winter a 5/4 might be necessary when water temperatures drop to around 12 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
