Surf spot

4 Mile

Forecast conditions and map view for 4 Mile in USA, California, Santa Cruz. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, Santa Cruz
Coordinates: 36.9656, -122.1251

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	1	0.9	1	0.8	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.7	1.3	1.5	1.4	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.2	1.4	1.6	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.7	1.1
Wave direction	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	W	SW	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	W	NW	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	S	NW	WNW
Wave period (s)	6.9	7	5.5	6.8	9.7	10.9	7	6.3	5.7	5	5	6.6	10.8	8.8	5	5.5	5.8	6.2	6.3	6.6	6.9	7.2	6.5	6.3	6.4	6.4	6.4	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.1	6.1	6.1	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.3	6	6	6	5.8	6.3	7.3	11.2	10.8	10.7	10.3	10.3	10.2	9.8	10.3	11.8	6.6	5.4
Wave energy (kJ)	88	78	62	65	67	75	38	53	43	31	35	27	41	20	24	107	146	142	195	207	214	159	175	212	231	231	226	205	179	156	142	126	118	107	124	136	141	128	102	77	67	57	48	48	52	67	74	77	76	76	65	79	61	64	48	71
Wind speed (km/h)	5.2	3.8	2.6	11.6	30.4	32.6	19.6	13.1	8.9	8.4	5.4	11	29.2	29.1	17.7	10.1	5.4	1.5	2.2	8.8	17.5	23	4.7	4.6	5.2	4	4.1	7.1	16.2	16.7	11.9	2.6	2.2	2.6	3.4	8.3	9	8.8	7.6	5	4.7	2.3	2.2	7.7	12.9	16.7	13.1	4.3	5.2	2.9	2.3	7	16.2	20.3	2.3	6
Wind direction	NWCross-off	ENEGlassy	SEGlassy	WOffshore	WNWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NNWCross	NNWCross	NCross	NCross-on	WNWCross-off	WNWCross-off	NWCross-off	NWCross-off	NNWCross	EOnshore	NNEGlassy	EGlassy	SWOffshore	WOffshore	WNWCross-off	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	NNWCross	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	SWOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WNWCross-off	WNWGlassy	SGlassy	SEGlassy	SSEGlassy	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWOffshore	WNWCross-off	NNWCross	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	NGlassy	SWCross-off	WSWOffshore	WOffshore	NWCross-off	NGlassy	ENEOnshore	NGlassy	NNWGlassy	SWCross-off	WOffshore	WNWCross-off	ENEGlassy	ESECross-on

4 Mile is a well-known surf break in Santa Cruz, California on the central coast of the USA. It’s part of the classic Santa Cruz surf zone and is named for its location about four miles from downtown Santa Cruz.

What it’s like

Type of break: Mainly a beach break with shifting sandbars
Wave character: Can produce fast, punchy waves with sections that work well for turns and occasional barrels when conditions line up
Best swell: Picks up south and northwest swells, with size and shape depending heavily on sand movement
Wind: Generally best with light offshore or low wind; like many Santa Cruz spots, it can get blown out when winds are onshore

Conditions and vibe

Skill level: Usually intermediate to advanced, especially when it’s larger or more powerful
Crowds: Can get crowded because it’s a popular Santa Cruz spot and often one of the better options when the sandbars are right
Hazards: Rips, shifting sandbars, and powerful surf on bigger days; Santa Cruz waters are also cold year-round

Bottom line

4 Mile is a reliable, often high-quality beach break that can offer fun, rippable waves in a classic Northern California setting. It’s best when the sandbars are well-formed and the swell direction lines up.