Great tides in Santa Cruz
The upcoming tides in Santa Cruz worth planning around, ranked from the next 90 days of predictions (October 18, 2026 to January 15, 2027).
Santa Cruz sits on the northern shore of Monterey Bay, where the San Lorenzo River reaches the sea next to the municipal wharf and the Boardwalk. West Cliff Drive follows the bay's curving edge past Natural Bridges, while to the east the shoreline runs toward Capitola. The bay's wide southern curve moderates the tide compared with the open coast further north.
Predictions for this page
Station: Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay (NOAA station 9413745, a subordinate station). Heights are relative to the MLLW datum (Mean Lower Low Water). Times are local station time, shown with daylight saving applied where it is in effect. Rankings compare events at this station only, over the window above.
Lowest low tides
The lowest predicted low tides at Santa Cruz in the window, by height. The very lowest tides of a season often fall after dark, so the daylight list below is usually the more useful one for a visit.
| # | Date & local time | Height (MLLW) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday, December 24, 2026 · 4:55 PM | -1.81 ft (-0.55 m) |
| 2 | Wednesday, December 23, 2026 · 4:08 PM | -1.71 ft (-0.52 m) |
| 3 | Friday, December 25, 2026 · 5:42 PM | -1.70 ft (-0.52 m) |
| 4 | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 · 5:07 PM | -1.52 ft (-0.46 m) |
| 5 | Thursday, November 26, 2026 · 5:58 PM | -1.50 ft (-0.46 m) |
| 6 | Tuesday, December 22, 2026 · 3:20 PM | -1.39 ft (-0.42 m) |
| 7 | Saturday, December 26, 2026 · 6:28 PM | -1.36 ft (-0.42 m) |
| 8 | Tuesday, November 24, 2026 · 4:17 PM | -1.33 ft (-0.40 m) |
| 9 | Friday, November 27, 2026 · 6:51 PM | -1.31 ft (-0.40 m) |
| 10 | Saturday, November 28, 2026 · 7:46 PM | -0.97 ft (-0.29 m) |
Daylight low tides
Low tides that fall between sunrise and sunset in Santa Cruz, ranked by height. A low tide of 1.5 ft (0.46 m) or lower generally exposes much more of the intertidal zone than an ordinary low; at or below 0.0 ft the exposure is at its best.
| # | Date & local time | Height (MLLW) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday, December 24, 2026 · 4:55 PM | -1.81 ft (-0.55 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 2 | Wednesday, December 23, 2026 · 4:08 PM | -1.71 ft (-0.52 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 3 | Tuesday, December 22, 2026 · 3:20 PM | -1.39 ft (-0.42 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 4 | Tuesday, November 24, 2026 · 4:17 PM | -1.33 ft (-0.40 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 5 | Monday, November 23, 2026 · 3:30 PM | -0.94 ft (-0.29 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 6 | Monday, December 21, 2026 · 2:34 PM | -0.88 ft (-0.27 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 7 | Tuesday, October 27, 2026 · 6:15 PM | -0.83 ft (-0.25 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 8 | Thursday, January 7, 2027 · 4:40 PM | -0.67 ft (-0.20 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 9 | Wednesday, January 6, 2027 · 4:08 PM | -0.66 ft (-0.20 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
| 10 | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 · 4:25 PM | -0.65 ft (-0.20 m) | Excellent tidepooling |
Highest high tides
The highest predicted high tides at Santa Cruz in the window, by height. The top of this list is where this season's king tides appear.
| # | Date & local time | Height (MLLW) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday, December 24, 2026 · 9:21 AM | 6.82 ft (2.08 m) |
| 2 | Wednesday, December 23, 2026 · 8:32 AM | 6.79 ft (2.07 m) |
| 3 | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 · 9:33 AM | 6.66 ft (2.03 m) |
| 4 | Friday, December 25, 2026 · 10:12 AM | 6.63 ft (2.02 m) |
| 5 | Tuesday, December 22, 2026 · 7:44 AM | 6.59 ft (2.01 m) |
| 6 | Thursday, November 26, 2026 · 10:20 AM | 6.56 ft (2.00 m) |
| 7 | Tuesday, November 24, 2026 · 8:50 AM | 6.56 ft (2.00 m) |
| 8 | Monday, November 23, 2026 · 8:11 AM | 6.30 ft (1.92 m) |
| 9 | Friday, November 27, 2026 · 11:11 AM | 6.26 ft (1.91 m) |
| 10 | Monday, December 21, 2026 · 6:59 AM | 6.25 ft (1.91 m) |
Largest tidal ranges
The biggest swings between one tide and the next at Santa Cruz: the absolute difference in height between consecutive high and low events, with the time the change takes.
| # | From | To | Range | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Thursday, December 24, 2026 · 9:21 AM · 6.82 ft (2.08 m) | Low Thursday, December 24, 2026 · 4:55 PM · -1.81 ft (-0.55 m) | 8.63 ft (2.63 m) | 7 h 34 min |
| 2 | High Wednesday, December 23, 2026 · 8:32 AM · 6.79 ft (2.07 m) | Low Wednesday, December 23, 2026 · 4:08 PM · -1.71 ft (-0.52 m) | 8.50 ft (2.59 m) | 7 h 36 min |
| 3 | High Friday, December 25, 2026 · 10:12 AM · 6.63 ft (2.02 m) | Low Friday, December 25, 2026 · 5:42 PM · -1.70 ft (-0.52 m) | 8.32 ft (2.54 m) | 7 h 30 min |
| 4 | High Wednesday, November 25, 2026 · 9:33 AM · 6.66 ft (2.03 m) | Low Wednesday, November 25, 2026 · 5:07 PM · -1.52 ft (-0.46 m) | 8.17 ft (2.49 m) | 7 h 34 min |
| 5 | High Thursday, November 26, 2026 · 10:20 AM · 6.56 ft (2.00 m) | Low Thursday, November 26, 2026 · 5:58 PM · -1.50 ft (-0.46 m) | 8.06 ft (2.46 m) | 7 h 38 min |
| 6 | High Tuesday, December 22, 2026 · 7:44 AM · 6.59 ft (2.01 m) | Low Tuesday, December 22, 2026 · 3:20 PM · -1.39 ft (-0.42 m) | 7.98 ft (2.43 m) | 7 h 36 min |
| 7 | High Tuesday, November 24, 2026 · 8:50 AM · 6.56 ft (2.00 m) | Low Tuesday, November 24, 2026 · 4:17 PM · -1.33 ft (-0.40 m) | 7.89 ft (2.40 m) | 7 h 27 min |
| 8 | High Saturday, December 26, 2026 · 11:05 AM · 6.21 ft (1.89 m) | Low Saturday, December 26, 2026 · 6:28 PM · -1.36 ft (-0.42 m) | 7.57 ft (2.31 m) | 7 h 23 min |
| 9 | High Friday, November 27, 2026 · 11:11 AM · 6.26 ft (1.91 m) | Low Friday, November 27, 2026 · 6:51 PM · -1.31 ft (-0.40 m) | 7.57 ft (2.31 m) | 7 h 40 min |
| 10 | High Monday, November 23, 2026 · 8:11 AM · 6.30 ft (1.92 m) | Low Monday, November 23, 2026 · 3:30 PM · -0.94 ft (-0.29 m) | 7.25 ft (2.21 m) | 7 h 19 min |
How these rankings are calculated
Great Tides downloads the high/low tide predictions published by NOAA CO-OPS for station 9413745 (Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay) covering October 18, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and ranks the events directly: low tides by predicted height ascending, high tides by predicted height descending, and tidal ranges by the absolute height difference between consecutive events. Daylight is calculated for Santa Cruz's coordinates (latitude 36.958, longitude -122.017) with a standard solar-position calculation: a low tide counts as a daylight low when its predicted time falls between that day's sunrise and sunset. Quality labels use height thresholds only: at or below 0.0 ft is labelled “Excellent tidepooling” and 0.0 to 1.5 ft “Good tidepooling”. Rankings are relative to this station and this window; heights at different stations use the same MLLW datum name but are local to each station and are not directly interchangeable.
Questions
Where do these predictions come from?
From NOAA CO-OPS, the US agency that operates the national tide-gauge network. The predictions for Santa Cruz are calculated for the Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay station (9413745). This page was generated from the same predictions NOAA publishes in its own tide tables.
Why does the station name differ from the place name?
Places and tide stations are not the same thing. A station is a specific gauge or calculation point; Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay is the station chosen to represent Santa Cruz. Tide times and heights shift gradually along the coast, so spots a few miles away will see slightly different times.
Are these live water levels?
No. These are astronomical predictions, calculated in advance from the positions of the Moon and Sun. Wind, storms and air pressure push real water levels above or below the prediction, sometimes by a foot or more.
Can I plan a tidepool visit from this page alone?
Treat the prediction as the starting point, not the whole plan: check the local forecast and conditions before you go, and look up any rules for the northern shore of Monterey Bay at Santa Cruz locally. A low prediction tells you when the water will be out; it says nothing by itself about surf, weather or whether a particular spot is safe that day.