Surf Forecasts:
Californias surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 10s period, NNW swell with 5,360 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Californias this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Californias in the next 16 days are 5.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 14s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Californias over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s lay it out for you. We’ve got a mixed bag coming our way, with a long wait for the real magic to happen.
The forecast kicks off with a rough start. Wednesday the 26th is a write-off – we’re looking at a stormy, blown-out mess with an 8ft NW swell getting hammered by strong cross-onshore winds. The water is a warm 84°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. Thursday the 27th is still a struggle: a 8ft W swell, but it’s cross-shore and messy, only giving marginal surf. Friday the 28th through to the end of the month sees the swell drop way off, with tiny 2ft to 4ft waves and clean conditions, but just not enough power to get excited about. There’s a full gap of no surf from the 1st of September through the morning of the 2nd.
Then things start to get interesting. On the afternoon of the 2nd of September, a big 18ft NNW swell rolls in, but the wind is a nasty cross-onshore, so it’s lumpy, choppy, and not for paddling. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Now, here’s the standout. Thursday the 3rd of September is where it’s at. Californias (reef) is your spot. We’ve got a solid 16ft NW groundswell, with a long 12-second period, and the wind goes light and cross-shore in the morning, cleaning up into a glassy cross-offshore in the afternoon. This is big, powerful surf – over 8ft, so it’s strictly for experienced surfers. The combined energy is massive, hitting 7695 in the morning, so you’ll feel the ocean’s pulse. The swell direction (NW) is a great match for the optimum here (N). This is the best on offer, no question.
Friday the 4th holds some serious size too, with a 10ft WNW swell and offshore winds in the morning, making for clean, excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The combined energy is still strong at 1891. Saturday the 5th drops to a more manageable 5ft, but still clean under light offshore breezes – good for a wider range of surfers.
There’s another promising window on Monday the 7th of September. The morning is glassy, dead calm, with a 10ft NNW swell. That’s a big, clean set-up, but the period is shorter at 8 seconds, so it’s a bit more wind-swell in character. Still, glassy conditions on a 10ft wave are a rare treat. The energy is 1344. The afternoon gets a bit cross-shore and lumpy. The rest of the second week fades into marginal, cross-shore conditions with dropping swell.
So, lock in the 3rd and 4th of September for the big, clean groundswell. The 7th is a glassy wildcard for the brave. The rest has some clean but small waves, or big but messy ones. As always, the long-range stuff is promising but keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 30°C on Thu morning, min 27°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SW on Wed morning, light winds from the S by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 8 | E 13 | ENE 12 | SE 9 | ENE 12 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 12 | NNE 7 | N 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1202 | 1107 | 1584 | 963 | 896 | 754 | 288 | 133 | 45 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 385 | 814 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:07PM1.92m | 6:28AM1.97m | 7:28PM2.00m | 7:03AM2.08m | 7:50PM2.07m | 7:38AM2.16m | 8:14PM2.11m | 8:14AM2.20m | 8:39PM2.14m | 8:52AM2.18m | 9:06PM2.15m | 9:32AM2.11m | 9:36PM2.12m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:33PM0.45m | 00:51AM0.99m | 1:03PM0.38m | 1:16AM0.84m | 1:32PM0.34m | 1:43AM0.70m | 2:01PM0.34m | 2:13AM0.58m | 2:31PM0.39m | 2:45AM0.47m | 3:01PM0.49m | 3:20AM0.42m | 3:33PM0.63m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | |
mm | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 25 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 13 |
1202 | 1107 | 1584 | 963 | 896 | 754 | 288 | 133 | 123 | 120 | 101 | 103 | 91 | 135 | 264 | 204 | 245 | 292 | 361 | 424 | 1668 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SW 8 | E 12 | SW 9 | SW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | ENE 12 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | SW 10 |
74 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 72 | 11 | 112 | 95 | 31 | 34 | 10 | 30 | 58 | 81 | 25 | 33 | 37 | 25 | 154 | 184 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 7 | E 16 | E 12 | S 8 | W 10 | ENE 13 | E 13 | W 7 | S 9 | ENE 12 | SW 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 10 | SE 18 | SW 10 |
4 | 16 | 31 | 30 | 17 | 5 | 25 | 10 | 45 | 17 | 30 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 29 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 16 | 114 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | SSW 7 | S 6 | SSW 9 | S 4 | SSE 8 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | E 4 | E 4 | — | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | N 8 |
906 | 383 | 160 | 132 | 16 | 149 | 113 | 98 | 91 | 76 | 63 | 84 | 6 | 6 | — | 28 | 27 | 87 | 200 | 385 | 814 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 609 | 601 | 601 | 619 | 601 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 609 | 657 | 609 | 609 | 827 | 37 | 37 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Okinawa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Californias Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Californias provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Californias can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Californias 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 (Californias) 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 Californias 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.
Californias is 5 km (3 miles) from Misato. If you plan a holiday in Okinawa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Misato. Misato has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











