NWS Monterey Bay marine forecast
Wind, sea state and marine hazards from the National Weather Service. Read the issuance time and hazard headlines.
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Today on the Coast
Forecasts are information—not permission.Not a beginner day
Santa Cruz tides · Thursday, November 5 · PST
High tide: 7:25 AM · 5.2 ft
Low tide: 1:52 PM · 0.8 ft
Evening high tide: 7:53 PM · 4.0 ft; overnight low tide: Friday 1:27 AM · 1.3 ft. NOAA station 9413745 · predicted heights relative to MLLW. Tide alone does not determine safety.
High tide: 7:25 AM · 5.2 ft
Low tide: 1:52 PM · 0.8 ft
Evening high tide: 7:53 PM · 4.0 ft; overnight low tide: Friday 1:27 AM · 1.3 ft. NOAA station 9413745 · predicted heights relative to MLLW. Tide alone does not determine safety.
Buoy 46042 is measuring 8.2 ft significant offshore wave height at an 11-second dominant period from the west-northwest, while the NWS forecast carries 13- and 14-second west and southwest energy. Buoy wind is from the north-northwest near 19 kt with gusts over 25 kt. Offshore values are not beach surf heights, visibility is unreported, and shorebreak and currents vary by beach. This is not a beginner day.
Monterey Bay forecast
NWS PZZ535 issued November 5 at 2:24 AM PST: north wind 5–10 kt easing to around 5 kt late morning and backing northwest in the afternoon; seas 4–6 ft, west waves 5 ft at 13 seconds and southwest waves 3 ft at 14 seconds. Tonight: north wind 10–15 kt becoming northeast 5–10 kt after midnight; seas 4–6 ft with northwest waves 5 ft at 14 seconds and south waves 3 ft at 15 seconds. Locally lower winds and seas are possible in sheltered portions of the bay. Bay marine values are not beach surf heights.
Measured buoy · 46042
Latest complete wave observation November 5 at 5:20 AM PST: significant wave height 8.2 ft (2.5 m), dominant period 11 seconds, average period 7.2 seconds and mean wave direction 289° (WNW). These bulk offshore observations do not isolate a single swell component or describe beach surf height. Latest wind observation at 5:30 AM PST: from 340° (NNW), 19.4 kt, gusting 25.3 kt. Visibility was not reported.
Santa Cruz tides · 9413745
Fresh NOAA API predictions retrieved November 5 at approximately 6:00 AM PST, feet relative to MLLW: low 0.8 ft at 12:49 AM; high 5.2 ft at 7:25 AM; low 0.8 ft at 1:52 PM; high 4.0 ft at 7:53 PM; Friday low 1.3 ft at 1:27 AM, high 5.5 ft at 7:54 AM, low 0.3 ft at 2:37 PM and high 4.0 ft at 8:52 PM. Tide changes access and currents; tide alone does not determine safety.
Advisories + State Parks
The official NWS alert feed returned no active PZZ535 watches, warnings or advisories when verified November 5 at 6:00 AM PST. State Parks warns about large surf, cold water, backwash, sudden drop-offs, pounding shorebreak, rip currents, sleeper waves and rapidly changing conditions. Its incident page is not real-time, and no Santa Cruz-specific closure status was confirmed there. Obey posted closures and check with on-duty park staff.
Salt Hound read: Not a beginner day. The 8.2 ft significant offshore wave height, forecast 13- to 15-second components, strong measured wind and gusts, unreported visibility and actual-beach uncertainty outweigh any sheltered-bay lull. This brief never guarantees safety.
NWS PZZ535 forecast · NWS active alerts · NDBC 46042 · NOAA Santa Cruz tides · State Parks ocean safety · State Parks incident updates
Use the stack: swell without wind, tide and local exposure is half an answer. Check all three, then look at the actual water. If the shoreline and forecast disagree, believe what is in front of you.
NOAA Santa Cruz tide predictions
Station 9413745. Tide timing and height are inputs, not a surf-quality score.
Open NOAA tides →NDBC buoy observations
Use current buoy observations to compare forecast with measured swell and wind. Always check timestamp and station position.
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