Surf Forecasts:
Bolsa Chica surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 19s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 366 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bolsa Chica this week:
The surf forecast for Bolsa Chica over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bolsa Chica in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bolsa Chica over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Bolsa Chica for the next couple of weeks. I’ve got to be honest, it’s looking like a slow, quiet spell. There’s a long stretch of nothing much happening, with the first decent chance being over a week away. We’ve got a big gap of days with no real recommendations until the second week rolls in.
For the first week and a half, from Thursday the 6th through about Tuesday the 18th, it’s pretty flat. Swell heights are mostly around 2ft to 2ft, coming from the SSW or SW. The combined energy is low to moderate, hanging in the 200s to low 300s, but the surf quality is consistently marked as poor or just marginal. Winds are a mix of light onshore and cross-onshore, which isn’t enough to make anything decent out of such small waves. There’s one morning on Sunday the 9th where it bumps to 3ft with a 15-second period and light onshore wind, but it’s still just a marginal call. For a beginner spot, it’s about the only option in that whole first week.
The best we’ve got, and the only time I’d get a little excited, is around Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. A little pulse of energy arrives. Friday morning the 14th shows a 2ft swell from the SSW, but with a very long 18-second period. The combined energy jumps to a solid 477 (moderate energy) – that’s the high point. The morning wind is light and onshore from the WSW, so the surface should be clean. That’s your standout session. Saturday the 15th brings a bit more size, around 3ft to 4ft from the SSW with a 16-second period and energy up to 555-580. But the wind goes cross-onshore and picks up to 12 mph in the afternoon, making it choppy. Stick to the mornings.
For beginners, that Friday morning (August 14th) is your chance – small, clean, with some long-period lines. The water is a very unusual 72°, much warmer than normal for this time of year. For the rest of us, the afternoons with stronger cross-onshore winds look more like a kite-surfing session than a good paddle surf. It’s a dry run, but that’s how summer can be around here sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 20°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 88 | 114 | 84 | 212 | 210 | 270 | 237 | 229 | 366 | 314 | 242 | 218 | 161 | 139 | 184 | 95 | 154 | 207 | 143 | 173 | 206 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:43PM2.03m | 6:52AM1.27m | 4:57PM2.13m | 7:56AM1.39m | 6:06PM2.26m | 8:36AM1.51m | 7:07PM2.39m | 9:11AM1.61m | 8:00PM2.48m | 9:45AM1.71m | 8:49PM2.51m | 10:19AM1.80m | 9:36PM2.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:09AM1.10m | 11:51PM0.55m | 9:38AM1.21m | 00:57AM0.34m | 11:25AM1.24m | 1:49AM0.15m | 12:44PM1.17m | 2:34AM0.01m | 1:45PM1.06m | 3:15AM-0.06m | 2:38PM0.94m | 3:54AM-0.06m | 3:28PM0.84m | 4:30AM0.02m | |||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 88 | 114 | 84 | 212 | 210 | 270 | 237 | 229 | 366 | 314 | 242 | 218 | 161 | 139 | 99 | 95 | 154 | 207 | 143 | 173 | 206 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | W 4 | W 4 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | S 12 |
| kJ | 3 | 80 | 82 | 114 | 82 | 130 | 36 | 56 | 6 | 3 | 32 | 42 | 65 | 97 | 184 | 33 | 49 | 28 | 27 | 44 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 11 | W 4 | W 5 | S 9 | W 15 | W 4 | S 9 | SSW 12 | W 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | W 4 | SW 16 | W 6 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 10 |
| kJ | 25 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 56 | 3 | 45 | 44 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 50 | 75 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 10 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 5 | — | — | W 4 | SW 9 | — | W 3 | — | — | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 7 | — | — | 3 | 41 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 138 | 96 | 33 | 138 | 138 | 14 | 138 | 138 | 14 | 34 | 138 | 33 | 33 | 138 | 0 | 33 | 44 | 46 | 33 | 96 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bolsa Chica Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bolsa Chica provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bolsa Chica can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bolsa Chica surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bolsa Chica) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bolsa Chica may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Bolsa Chica is 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Seal Beach. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Seal Beach. Seal Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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