Manresa surf guide
Surf: General: A beachbreak that catches a lot of swell, Manresa is a standby spot year-round, as it faces west and is out of the shadow of Santa Cruz. Manresa can be overhead when the rest of Santa Cruz is flat, and it can be triple-overhead and almost impossible to surf on bigger swells during the winter. After Manresa Beach, you enter the Fertile Crescent of Monterey Bay.
Between Manresa and Moss Landing, you'll find mile after empty mile of open, lonely beachbreaks, just waiting to be explored. This area is best in the winter when the offshore winds are blowing, and it can be a wide-open forest of perfect surf. During the winter, the prevailing wind is offshore and the surf is endless. Tides: Decent with any tide, prefers incoming. Not as tide-sensitive as other spots. Size: Waist high-2X overhead Wind: E or glassy Swell: W, NW, SW Bottom: Sand Paddling: Strong and when it's big, you might not make it out. Spot Rating: Fun. Access: Parking at Manresa State Park. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Lots of room here. No reason for crowds. Local Vibe: Cool. Environment: Fair Hazards: Occasional shark sightings, tired arms on big swells. Season: January-December
Between Manresa and Moss Landing, you'll find mile after empty mile of open, lonely beachbreaks, just waiting to be explored. This area is best in the winter when the offshore winds are blowing, and it can be a wide-open forest of perfect surf. During the winter, the prevailing wind is offshore and the surf is endless. Tides: Decent with any tide, prefers incoming. Not as tide-sensitive as other spots. Size: Waist high-2X overhead Wind: E or glassy Swell: W, NW, SW Bottom: Sand Paddling: Strong and when it's big, you might not make it out. Spot Rating: Fun. Access: Parking at Manresa State Park. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Lots of room here. No reason for crowds. Local Vibe: Cool. Environment: Fair Hazards: Occasional shark sightings, tired arms on big swells. Season: January-December