Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for Santa Cruz Beach, but the forecast has waves to 6 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Overcast, high near 66°. No real rain risk. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 2%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
4 mph
from the SE
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 3 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30 if you are out for more than an hour.
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around September (61°), coolest around April (54°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Santa Cruz Beach station 9413450); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Beach Hazards Statement out for Santa Cruz Beach until 8 PM Tuesday. Dangerous surf and rip currents. Swim only near a lifeguard. The water at Santa Cruz Beach is 65°F (18°C) today, 9°F warmer than the usual 56°F for November. For swimming it is chilly: bracing for most people, and a wetsuit helps. Waves are 6–7 ft (very rough). The air is 66°F, feeling like 62°F, with light 4 mph winds from the S. The UV index reaches 3 (moderate).
The water holds steady around 65°F through Sun Nov 8.
The week ahead at Santa Cruz Beach, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Thu Nov 5.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 66°F | 7 mph | 6.4 ft | 3 | 1% | 65°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Drizzle | 64°F | 16 mph | 7.5 ft | 2 | 47% | 65°F |
| Wed Nov 4 | Cloudy | 69°F | 10 mph | 7.9 ft | 4 | 1% | 65°F |
| Thu Nov 5 | Cloudy | 72°F | 7 mph | 6.3 ft | 4 | 0% | 65°F |
| Fri Nov 6 | Cloudy | 74°F | 7 mph | 7.9 ft | 4 | 0% | 65°F |
| Sat Nov 7 | Sunny | 74°F | 7 mph | 8.1 ft | 4 | 0% | 65°F |
| Sun Nov 8 | Mostly sunny | 76°F | 6 mph | 6.7 ft | 4 | 0% | 65°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 9413450. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | High 5:46 AM 4.4 | Low 10:54 AM 2.8 | High 4:18 PM 4.7 | Low 11:28 PM 0.1 | 9:39 AM–11:39 AM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 6:25 AM 4.7 | Low 12:11 PM 2.2 | High 5:40 PM 4.5 | — | 10:56 AM–12:56 PM |
| Wed Nov 4 | Low 12:17 AM 0.4 | High 6:59 AM 5.1 | Low 1:11 PM 1.5 | High 6:53 PM 4.3 | 11:56 AM–1:56 PM |
| Thu Nov 5 | Low 1:00 AM 0.8 | High 7:31 AM 5.4 | Low 2:03 PM 0.8 | High 7:59 PM 4.2 | 12:48 PM–2:48 PM |
| Fri Nov 6 | Low 1:38 AM 1.3 | High 8:00 AM 5.7 | Low 2:48 PM 0.3 | High 8:58 PM 4.1 | 1:33 PM–3:33 PM |
| Sat Nov 7 | Low 2:12 AM 1.8 | High 8:28 AM 5.8 | Low 3:30 PM -0.1 | High 9:52 PM 4.0 | 2:15 PM–4:15 PM |
| Sun Nov 8 | Low 2:44 AM 2.2 | High 8:56 AM 5.9 | Low 4:09 PM -0.3 | High 10:44 PM 3.9 | 2:54 PM–4:54 PM · best |
The average sea temperature at Santa Cruz Beach for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in September (61°F) and coolest in April (54°F). It never averages 74°F, so most swimmers use a wetsuit.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56°F | 13°C | Cold |
| February | 55°F | 13°C | Cold |
| March | 55°F | 13°C | Cold |
| April | 54°F | 12°C | Cold |
| May | 56°F | 13°C | Cold |
| June | 58°F | 14°C | Cold |
| July | 58°F | 15°C | Cold |
| August | 60°F | 15°C | Cold |
| September | 61°F | 16°C | Chilly |
| October | 60°F | 16°C | Cold |
| November (now) | 56°F | 13°C | Cold |
| December | 56°F | 13°C | Cold |
Rip currents. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 3 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.
Weather alerts in effect: Beach Hazards Statement.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Santa Cruz Beach rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at Santa Cruz Beach it’s very rough.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Santa Cruz Beach it’s light.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
65°F (18°C), 9°F warmer than the usual 56°F for November.
At 65°F the water is chilly: bracing for most people, and a wetsuit helps. Waves are 6–7 ft, which is very rough.
6–7 ft, which is very rough. The wind is 4 mph from the S.
High tide is at 5:46 AM and 4:18 PM, and low tide is at 10:54 AM and 11:28 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 3 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Highs run 64–76°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Thu Nov 5.
The water at Santa Cruz Beach averages about 56°F (13°C) in November.
September is the warmest month, averaging 61°F. April is the coolest, at 54°F.
The water never averages 74°F here. It is warmest in September, at 61°F, so bring a wetsuit most of the year.
The usual water temperature in November at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Capitola Beach conditions | 4 mi | 56°F |
|---|---|---|
| Monterey State Beach conditions | 26 mi | 56°F |
| Carmel Beach conditions | 29 mi | 56°F |
| Half Moon Bay State Beach conditions | 44 mi | 55°F |
| Pfeiffer Beach conditions | 51 mi | 57°F |
| Ocean Beach San Francisco conditions | 61 mi | 56°F |
More for Santa Cruz Beach: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →