WorldUnited States of America › California › Manresa

Manresa 88.8

#894 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.

Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score88.8 /100
Surfable days100% of the year
Clean days61% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell62% period 11 s+
Typical size1.5 m 5.0 ft median
Water14°C a 4/3 with boots

Best time to surf Manresa

The best time to surf Manresa is January, November, December. 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 2.2 m. The nearest airport is SJC (49 km) and the nearest town is Santa Cruz (15 km).

MonthSurfableCleanSizeWaterSuit
Jan99%87%2.2 m14°C4/3
Feb99%71%1.8 m14°C4/3
Mar100%70%1.8 m13°C4/3
Apr100%69%1.6 m14°C4/3
May100%50%1.7 m12°C5/4
Jun100%30%1.4 m12°C5/4
Jul100%30%1.3 m13°C4/3
Aug100%37%1.2 m15°C4/3
Sep100%57%1.3 m16°C4/3
Oct99%68%1.5 m15°C4/3
Nov99%77%1.6 m14°C4/3
Dec99%80%2.0 m14°C4/3

Why 88.8

Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.

Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
24.0
Groundswell 12%
12.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
4.3
Water comfort 10%
0.6
Access 10%
9.6

The detail

Faces 235° with 33% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 98% of days. Mean peak period 12.0 s. Days over 3 m: 3%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 21%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 36.932, -121.863 (OpenStreetMap).

Spots nearby

Capitola jetty🇺🇸 United States of America · score 86.8Santa Cruz - 41st privates🇺🇸 United States of America · score 88.3The Hook🇺🇸 United States of America · score 89.1Pleasure Point🇺🇸 United States of America · score 89.2
Compare Manresa with 5,700 other spots
Filters by month, level and water, map, side by side comparison and a trip planner.
Open the interactive profileMore spots good in January