Steamer Lane gets the webcam and the contest history, but the wave that actually taught Santa Cruz to longboard sits a few miles down East Cliff Drive. Pleasure Point is less a single break than a run of named peaks along the same stretch of reef, and it has been a working lab for California surf culture since Jack O'Neill built his first wetsuits a few doors down.
Why Pleasure Point?
This is a right hand point and reef system with its own internal geography. Surfers here talk about Sewer Peak, First Peak, Second Peak, Insides, Jack's, and The Hook the way other towns talk about neighborhoods, and each one has a slightly different personality, from mellow longboard waves to fast, hollow sections for shortboarders only.
→ Second Peak and Jack's are the forgiving end of the point, long, soft shoulders that have been teaching people to cross step since the 1960s.
↳ The Hook and Sewer Peak, further along, turn fast and hollow on a good NW swell, and are not the place to learn.
Getting There and Getting Around
- Fly into San Jose Mineta International (SJC), about 35 miles north, or San Francisco International (SFO), about 70 miles north.
- → From either airport, it is roughly an hour to 90 minutes by car down Highway 17 or Highway 1 into Santa Cruz.
- ↳ The main access points are a series of stairways down East Cliff Drive at 32nd, 34th, 36th, 38th, and 41st Avenues, plus the small Opal Cliffs County Park lot. Street parking exists but seasonal permit rules apply in parts of the Live Oak area in summer, so check posted signs.
When to Surf
Fall through early spring, roughly September through March, is the classic window, with west and northwest groundswell wrapping into the point and offshore northwest wind keeping the faces clean. South swells can also light up First Peak, Insides, and Sewer Peak in the warmer months. Water temperature runs from the mid 50s°F in spring to the high 50s and low 60s°F by late summer, so a 3/2mm to 5/4mm wetsuit is standard gear here year round. Hazards: a rocky reef bottom with kelp that can tangle a fast takeoff, a crowd that gets genuinely heavy on weekends, real local etiquette that is enforced more firmly than at a typical beach, and Monterey Bay's documented white shark presence, which is worth a quick check of current local advisories before you go rather than a reason to stay out of the water altogether.
Surf Breaks
- Second Peak: A long, soft reef shoulder south of First Peak.
Wave: Mellow and forgiving on smaller days.
Level: Intermediate, friendly to confident beginners on a small day. - First Peak and Sewer Peak: Steep reef A-frames near the top of the point.
Wave: Fast and competitive, shortboard territory.
Level: Advanced. - The Hook: A fast, hollow right at the seaward end of the point.
Wave: Quick takeoff, works best on bigger NW swell.
Level: Advanced.
Where to Stay
→ Prices below are approximate and were seen in November 2026.
Budget ($)
Santa Cruz Hostel
321 Main St, Santa Cruz, a few miles from the point near the Wharf. Beds run from approx. $52/night on weeknights, seen on Kayak.
Mid-Range ($$)
Capitola Hotel
210 Esplanade, Capitola, about a mile from Pleasure Point on Capitola Village beach. Rooms run from approx. $277/night, seen on Kayak.
Beachfront/Luxury ($$$)
Dream Inn Santa Cruz
175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz's main oceanfront hotel, about 3 miles from Pleasure Point overlooking Cowell Beach and Steamer Lane. Rooms run from approx. $258/night and up depending on room type, seen on Kayak.
Food and Drink
-
Breakfast burrito: Point Market, 23040 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz
→ A small market and cafe right in the Pleasure Point neighborhood, known for a burrito called The Barrel, with eggs, potatoes, turkey bacon, avocado, and cheese. It runs approx. $11.50 regular or $12.50 large, per local coverage of the shop. -
Coffee: Verve Coffee Roasters, 816 41st Avenue, Santa Cruz
↳ This is Verve's original flagship location, right on the Pleasure Point strip. A latte runs approx. $6.95 and a cappuccino approx. $5.95, per the current online ordering menu.
Photographing Pleasure Point (Surf Snaps)
A cross step on a long Second Peak shoulder, or a fast drop at The Hook with the Santa Cruz cliffs behind it, is exactly the kind of shot that belongs in front of more than just your own camera roll. If you are out shooting the point at dawn, or you are the surfer who finally linked First Peak through to the inside section, Surf Snaps is built for exactly this. Upload a gallery once at surf-snaps.com/upload and it stays live as a shoppable set, with no subscription, listing fee, or storage bill, and nothing owed until a photo actually sells. Surf Snaps takes a 10% revenue share and pays the rest out monthly, and the photographer keeps copyright throughout. Surfers can browse without even creating an account at surf-snaps.com/explore, with photos listed from $8.
FAQ: Surfing Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz
Is Pleasure Point good for beginners?
Second Peak and Jack's can work for a confident beginner on a small day, but most of the point, especially First Peak, Sewer Peak, and The Hook, suits intermediate to advanced surfers.
Where exactly is Pleasure Point?
Along East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, California, a few miles southeast of Steamer Lane and the Santa Cruz Wharf.
Is Pleasure Point crowded?
Yes, often heavily so on weekends, and local etiquette is taken seriously here, so learn the right of way rules before paddling out.
What is the best time of year to surf Pleasure Point?
Roughly September through March for the biggest, cleanest west and northwest swells, though summer south swells can work certain peaks.
Where can I find photos of my session at Pleasure Point?
Check surf-snaps.com/explore, where photographers shooting the point list their galleries by spot and date, so you can search for your own session without needing an account just to browse.
