This California city is home to some of the best surfing in the country

Walking along Santa Cruz’s East or West Cliff Drive, beyond the ocean spray and steep cliff walls, you'll most likely find dozens of wetsuit-clad surfers straddling their boards waiting for the next great wave. This California city is the birthplace of mainland surfing in the United States. Legend has it that in 1885, three Hawaiian princes introduced the sport here — even convincing a lumber mill to create boards out of the local redwood. Santa Cruz remains famous for consistent swells and its protected curved coastline, and was formally dedicated as a World Surfing Reserve in 2012.

Surfing has been steadily increasing in popularity, and whether you’re completely new to the sport or looking to perfect your form, Santa Cruz is the perfect place to go. From choosing the best location and time of day to respecting the ocean and its wildlife, here’s all you need to know about surfing in Santa Cruz.

(Related: These surfing hotspots around the world are the best for beginners)

Start with the right surfing gear

In the early 1950s, after the successful neoprene experiments of University of California, Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner, surfer and legendary wetsuit pioneer Jack O’Neill began using neoprene to perfect his product. The material proved to be ideal for surfing: flexible, lightweight, and capable of trapping body heat. O’Neill, who moved to Santa Cruz in 1959, was one of the first to sell these neoprene wetsuits commercially and helped to popularize them all over the world.

To this day, wetsuits are a sure bet for keeping you comfortable year-round while surfing.

Richard Schmidt, a Santa Cruz native and owner of the city’s original surf school, has been entwined with the culture long enough to remember the evolution of the sport — from body surfing on inflatable mats as a kid, to attempting to stand on a Styrofoam board, to finally riding a long board purchased from Otto’s Board and Surf, now closed.

These days, Schmidt tells his students to start with a soft board. “If the board hits you or hits somebody else around you, it's not so lethal. The hard fiberglass boards can bruise and cut, but soft boards are easy to ride, and they're much safer.” Schmidt also explains that even though bigger surf boards might be more cumbersome to handle off the water, they will give you more stability as you catch waves.

(Related: In Southern California, surf culture is becoming more inclusive)

Pick the perfect surf spot

Cowell Beach is steps from the site of where O’Neill opened his second surf shop, now the Dream Inn’s Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge that pays homage to the legendary surfer with personal memorabilia, vintage photos, hanging surf boards, and surf art. “It’s one of the best places for learning because of its long, gentle, rolling waves,” says Schmidt, adding that because of its location within the bay, the area is well protected from prevailing winds.

Similar surfing conditions can be found at Capitola Beach, which is why there are no shortage of lesson options here. Capitola Beach Company and the women-owned Capitola Surf and Paddle offer daily lessons for beginners.

Respect the marine wildlife

Santa Cruz surfers are no strangers to coming face-to-face with the marine life. Even with laws in place, like the Marine Mammal Protection Act that forbids humans from coming within 50-feet of marine life, sometimes the animals have a different plan. Schmidt has surfed besides dolphins, and even recalls being approached by a friendly newborn harbor seal while surfing with his two young sons. But Schmidt acknowledges that as magical as that moment was, touching the wildlife can be risky. “You never know how they will react.”

Case in point, the infamous Otter 841 who bit, scratched, and stole surfboards during the summer of 2023. In her defense, she was seen that fall with a new pup, so scientists believe that her behavior was due to pregnancy hormones.

Elliott Hazen, PhD, research ecologist at Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Monterey, California, acknowledges there have been “exploratory bites” from sharks every few years. Although central California beaches are known as nursery grounds for juvenile sharks, Hazen says the upwelling season that happens in the area from spring to summer keeps the waters cool and act as a sort of barrier to sharks. “We are obviously entering their home and habitat. The ocean is a wild place and an amazing resource in our backyard, but you have to treat it with respect,” says Hazen. The best bet is to surf during the middle of the day, rather than at dawn or dusk when marine life are out feeding.

Let the ocean dictate your day

Schmidt says the best surfing happens between October and March, when storms move up the Pacific Ocean. But, the ocean is an unpredictable place, and Hazen points out that climate change is creating even more extremes. Although bigger storms and their waves might be a bonus for some surfers, Hazen notes, “With more upwelling comes more acidic waters that affects the prey that species eat.”

This means that animals like sharks might need to move further inland to find food. Additionally, with increased rainfall comes the possibility of harmful algae blooms that can be great for sea life food webs, but give surfers itchy skin.

Even with the unpredictability of climate change, there are ways to play it safe and read the ocean’s mood. “In Santa Cruz you have to go for the low tides,” says Schmidt. At high tide, many of the beach access points are just waves banging against the cliffs and rocks. “You have to be an expert or a crab to crawl up and down,” Schmidt warns.

Beware of the sleeper waves. Instead of running straight into the water, Schmidt advises his students to stay on dry land for 15 minutes to observe the ocean. “Sometimes you get these long period swells where it might be flat for 10 minutes, and all of sudden there’s a bigger wave then they anticipated,” he says. You can also do your research from home. Schmidt’s go-to websites are the National Data Buoy Center, which shows the buoy readings from Alaska to San Diego, and StormSurf for the marine forecasts.

Surfing's health benefits

Surfing is full of physical and mental health benefits. From Schmidts perspective, there’s always something that needs to be done when you’re on land — pay your mortgage or run household errands. “All of that goes away when you put on your wetsuit, jump on your board, and start paddling. You come out of the water feeling like you've been rebooted.”