Slab of cliff falls into the ocean at iconic surf break

After a week of massive waves crashing on California’s beaches, a piece of cliff slid off into the Pacific at one of Northern California’s most iconic surfing spots.

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On Monday, around 7:30 a.m., surfers caught on camera a piece of the cliff at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz falling off into the ocean. Much of California has been under hazardous beach warnings over the past week, likely contributing to the latest example of cliff erosion in the area.

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“These slabs keep failing,” Gary Griggs, a professor of earth and marine sciences at UC Santa Cruz, told SFGATE. “… That’s a spot that you could see this crack that extended maybe 20 or 25 feet along the edge of the bluff that finally let go.”

Santa Cruz city manager Matt Huffaker told SFGATE the city is aware of the incident and that it has already posted signs in the area warning visitors against “standing, walking, or gathering on or below coastal bluffs.”

“This incident serves as a reminder that our coastline is a dynamic natural environment,” Huffaker said in a statement. “While these areas provide incredible recreational opportunities, they also carry inherent risks. Erosion, rockfalls, and changing ocean conditions can occur without warning.”

Steamer Lane is a well-loved spot by surfers. The crescent-shaped cove faces south, evening out swells from the west and northeast in the area, according to Surfline. The digital surf forecaster reports the area is considered the perfect spot for intermediate and advanced surfers.

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“Because Santa Cruz faces straight south, Lighthouse Point points almost directly south, and that weird geography is the secret to Steamer Lane’s success,” according to Surfline. 

The Save the Waves Coalition, a nonprofit organization protecting surf ecosystems, said it is “monitoring the situation and effects to the wave.”

“In the long run, and it depends on what we call the long run, there is absolutely nothing we can do to hold back the Pacific Ocean, so anything we do is going to be a Band-Aid,” UC Santa Cruz’s Griggs said.