Back to results

Big Creek, United States

Stay in Santa Cruz: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Santa Cruz

All 25 on Santa Cruz's map

Watch this spot We email you when Big Creek is worth the trip.

Sand beach view through grass (Unsplash)
Near Big Creek, 1 km away. Photo: Jordan McQueen jordanfmcqueen, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

About Big Creek

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (224°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (44°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 24). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Cruz. Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), direct.

    See flights MDW → SJC · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Big Creek.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Santa Cruz, 25 km (about 45 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Big Creek: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Santa Cruz, 25 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Santa Cruz · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Santa Cruz · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Big Creek on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct275 ft10 scrumbling404kJ21°C
Mon 19Oct406 ft8 scrumbling504kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct587 ft11 scrumbling1,124kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct345 ft9 scrumbling404kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct163 ft7 smushy108kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct336 ft6 smushy229kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct417 ft7 smushy409kJ18°C
Sun 25Oct225 ft7 smushy193kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct426 ft7 smushy334kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct295 ft7 smushy213kJ20°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SJC, then 1h 05 by road. About 7h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Big Creek

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 7 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Big Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Big Creek

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 6 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Big Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 7 s, wind 1 kn (3 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SJC, then 1h 05 by road. About 7h 20 door to door

The trip from Santa Cruz, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,020–£1,845 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£465
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,020–£1,845

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Santa Cruz

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Santa Cruz, 25 km (about 45 min by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.