Right in Santa Cruz in Central California, Capitola is a decent beach break that crashes over a sand bottom. The waves here are straightforward to surf and break for up to 100 meters providing some hollow sections for barrels. Be aware of some rivermouth dirtiness, don’t surf it right after rains.
What are the best surf conditions for Capitola?
Gets good between waist high and overhead. A longboard will work when smaller here, but a shortboard is best when it is bigger. Capitola will have something on tap for all levels of surfer depending on the swell. The surf here is usually breaking (5/10) but will be crowded most days (8/10). The best winds come from the Northeast and the best swells are large from the West. The best tide is low.
We recommend wearing a 4/3 in the summer here when water temperatures rise to 15 degrees. In winter a 5/4 will work best when water temperatures drop to around 12 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
