Good morning, this is your Northern and Central California Surf Zone Forecast for Wednesday, April 15th, 2026.
Let's start up north in Sonoma and Marin County, where today you're looking at three to six feet of surf with partly cloudy skies. High temperatures will range from 54 to 66 degrees, and northwest winds at 17 miles per hour will keep things moving. The water temperature info is unavailable, but that shouldn't stop you from checking conditions. Tides will bottom out at six-tenths of a foot early this morning around 4:33 AM, then peak at 4.8 feet mid-morning. Expect another low of seven-tenths of a foot in the late afternoon, followed by a higher high tide of 5.6 feet just after 11 PM. No thunderstorms are expected.
Tomorrow in Sonoma and Marin, things are about to get interesting. Northwest-facing beaches will see surf building to six to nine feet, while southwest exposures hold at three to six feet. It'll be mostly sunny with temperatures ranging from 52 to 69 degrees. Winds will increase slightly from 19 to 21 miles per hour out of the northwest. Tides tomorrow show a low of basically at sea level around 5:13 AM, then 4.9 feet at mid-morning, another low at 1.1 feet in the late afternoon, and a nice six-foot high tide just after midnight.
Moving down to San Francisco and San Mateo County, today brings three to six feet of surf with mostly cloudy conditions. Water temperature is around 58 degrees, perfect for a spring session. High temps will be 54 to 66 degrees with northwest winds at 17 miles per hour. The same tide schedule applies here as Sonoma and Marin.
Now Thursday looks exceptional in the San Francisco area. Northwest-facing beaches will be firing with six to ten feet of swell, while southwest-facing spots hold three to six feet. Expect mostly sunny skies with highs between 55 and 71 degrees. Winds will be lighter, ranging from 14 to 18 miles per hour out of the northwest. Tides follow the same pattern, peaking at 4.9 feet in mid-morning and six feet just after eleven PM.
Santa Cruz County is looking solid today with three to six feet of surf and mostly cloudy skies. Water temperature sits at 57 degrees. Highs reach 56 to 70 degrees with light northwest winds starting at 13 miles per hour and building to 17. Tides bottom out at six-tenths of a foot early morning and half a foot in the afternoon, with highs of 4.3 and 5.1 feet respectively.
Thursday in Santa Cruz brings the same excellent pattern we're seeing everywhere else. Northwest-facing breaks will see six to ten feet while southwest exposures produce three to six feet. Mostly sunny conditions with highs between 58 and 71 degrees and northwest winds between 17 and 19 miles per hour. Tides will be virtually flat at the lowest around 4:26 AM, then 4.2 feet mid-morning, another low at nine-tenths of a foot, and a 5.5-foot high tide near 10:30 PM.
Finally, down in Monterey Bay and Big Sur, conditions are more mellow. Today expects three to five feet with partly cloudy sk
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.