Blacks 88.3
#976 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · California · near Santa Cruz
Works almost every day, clean mornings are the norm, no off season.
Best time to surf Blacks
The best time to surf Blacks is January, March, November. The season runs Sep to May. In January the water sits around 14°C, so pack a 4/3 with boots, and the typical wave is 1.9 m. The nearest airport is SJC (46 km) and the nearest town is Santa Cruz (3 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99% | 84% | 1.9 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Feb | 100% | 68% | 1.5 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Mar | 100% | 75% | 1.6 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Apr | 100% | 69% | 1.5 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| May | 100% | 48% | 1.5 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Jun | 100% | 30% | 1.3 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Jul | 100% | 30% | 1.2 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 100% | 37% | 1.1 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 100% | 57% | 1.2 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 99% | 70% | 1.3 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 99% | 73% | 1.4 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 99% | 66% | 1.8 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
Why 88.3
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
The detail
Faces 165° with 33% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 96% of days. Mean peak period 12.0 s. Days over 3 m: 2%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 30%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 36.959, -121.993 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Filters by month, level and water, map, side by side comparison and a trip planner.