Jack's

Jack's is a right-hand reef break with an occasional left, breaking over rock and sand. It works best on south to west-southwest swell with offshore winds from the west and north, particularly northwest. The break is tide-sensitive, performing best at low to mid tide, and typically offers rideable waves between two and ten feet. It accepts a wide range of board types and remains one of Santa Cruz's most beginner-friendly breaks. The main hazard is rocks and boulders exposed during periods of low sand, which can make entry and exit treacherous and narrow the surfing window to specific tidal windows.

Jack's bears the name of Jack O'Neill, the Santa Cruz surf legend and inventor of the neoprene wetsuit. O'Neill opened the first retail shop in the United States to call itself a "Surf Shop" in Santa Cruz in 1959, fundamentally changing how surfers equipped themselves for cold water. The break was formerly known as 38th Avenue and was renamed after O'Neill's iconic green house near that location. The original Surf Shop site was designated a California Point of Historical Interest in 2012, reflecting O'Neill's outsized influence on modern surfing globally.

Access is via public stairs at 38th Avenue within the Pleasure Point area. A public parking lot sits at 41st Avenue on East Cliff Drive, with side-street parking typically restricted to permit holders on weekends. During periods of significant beach sand erosion, navigating the boulder field at the bottom of the stairs becomes difficult.