Surf today
Each break rated from the NOAA buoys and a regional wave model, with the National Weather Service surf forecast and links to the cams. Ratings are estimates; look before you paddle out.
NWS surf zone forecast
Loading the National Weather Service surf forecast…
Breaks and cams
Why use Cars & Coast for surf
Live buoys, not just a model
NOAA buoys 46236 (Monterey Canyon) and 46042 (Monterey Bay) read out wave height, period and direction as they report.
The NWS surf zone forecast
Surf height, rip current risk and water temperature from the National Weather Service for Santa Cruz County and for Monterey Bay & Big Sur.
Free cams for the breaks
Links to the live surf and harbor cams near each break; the ones that need a paid account are marked.
Free, no account, no app
Every number shows where it came from. No sign-up, no paywall.
How the ratings work
Wave heights for today and tomorrow come from a nearshore model at each break (CDIP, Scripps); other forecasts come from a regional model on a ~5 km grid. None of it is a reading in the surf zone. Conditions change fast; look before you go in, check the official forecast, and never turn your back on the ocean.
More on the coast
Sources: CDIP / Scripps Institution of Oceanography nearshore wave model · Open-Meteo marine and weather forecasts · NOAA buoy 46236 and 46042 · NOAA tide predictions (Monterey 9413450, Santa Cruz 9413745) · National Weather Service alerts and marine forecasts. Refreshed every 30 minutes.