
Surf Forecasts:
Californias surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 15s period, E swell with 1,212 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Californias this week:
The surf forecast for Californias over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Californias in the next 16 days are 1.7m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Californias over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Californias. I’m looking at the next couple of weeks and, truth be told, it’s a tough stretch for paddle surfing. The overall pattern is flat to tiny with tricky winds, and then it gets big but with all the wrong wind conditions for this spot. There’s a real gap of poor to no surf through the first week, so don’t get your hopes up early.
Kicking off Sunday the 13th, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a tiny 0.3m (about 1 foot) easterly windswell (period 14 seconds), but the combined wave energy is weak at just (47). The water temp is sitting at a warm 29°, which is about average for this time of year. With the wind coming from the ENE at 9 mph (15 km/h) it’s technically offshore, but the data says "poor surf conditions." Not worth paddling out for.
Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th aren’t any better. On Tuesday morning, we finally see a tiny bump to 0.7m (about 2 feet) from the east, period 9 seconds, with combined energy of (125). The wind is light and clean, but the waves are small and ordinary. The same story rolls through Wednesday the 16th with 0.7m (2 feet) and clean offshores, but again, just small, mediocre surf.
Thursday the 17th morning drops back to 0.3m (1 foot), and the pattern of poor conditions stretches all the way through Saturday the 19th. On Saturday afternoon, a 1.1m (4 feet) easterly swell with a very long period of 16 seconds shows up, and the combined energy jumps to (663). But the wind shifts to a strong N at 16 mph (25 km/h), cross-offshore, and the report still says "poor surf conditions." That long-period groundswell would need a better setup, but the wind messes it up.
Sunday the 20th gets bigger – 1.7m (6 feet) from the east, 15-second period, combined energy of (1223) – but it’s accompanied by a gusty N wind at 22 mph (35 km/h). That’s strong and cross-offshore, making for a bumpy, messy ocean. By the afternoon, the wind swings NNW at 25 mph (40 km/h), creating a strong cross-shore chop. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing sesh.
Monday the 21st through Wednesday the 23rd keeps the size around 1.1m to 1.6m (4 to 5 feet) but with fresh to strong cross-onshore or cross-shore winds from the NW and NNW. The wave energy is moderate but the quality is poor. Thursday the 24th cleans up a bit with cross-offshore winds, but by then the swell drops back to 0.8m (3 feet).
The real standout, and honestly the only window worth a look for experienced surfers, arrives on Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th – that’s about two weeks away, so keep your fingers crossed. On Sunday the 27th, a new NNW swell hits at 3.0m to 3.5m (10 to 12 feet), period 8 seconds. Combined wave energy is very strong (1340-1505). This is big, powerful stuff. On Monday the 28th, it peaks at 4.0m (13 feet) from the NNW with a period of 11 seconds and combined energy over (3709). That’s a lot of juice. The wind stays cross-offshore from the N at 16 mph (25 km/h), so it will be clean. But listen, that swell size is dangerous. Over 8 feet (2.5m), it’s for experts only. The break is a reef, so it could hold shape, but the period is short (8 seconds on Sunday) – that means shorter, steeper, more powerful waves with quick sections. It’s a promising but uncertain long-range call. If you’re a solid barrel rider and the winds hold, this could be the only game in town.
Stay patient, check the charts closer to the date, and don’t fight the flat spell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 27°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | NNW 7 | ENE 14 | E 9 | ENE 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | E 8 | N 8 | E 16 | E 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 36 | 32 | 31 | 14 | 78 | 81 | 88 | 87 | 90 | 65 | 63 | 38 | 41 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 22 | 45 | 628 | 1101 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:30PM2.17m | 8:56AM2.10m | 8:54PM2.14m | 9:30AM1.97m | 9:19PM2.09m | 10:06AM1.82m | 9:44PM2.01m | 10:45AM1.67m | 10:10PM1.90m | 11:36AM1.52m | 10:38PM1.77m | 1:12PM1.41m | 11:17PM1.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:29PM0.49m | 2:47AM0.36m | 2:56PM0.61m | 3:19AM0.37m | 3:20PM0.75m | 3:52AM0.44m | 3:44PM0.89m | 4:28AM0.53m | 4:08PM1.03m | 5:09AM0.65m | 4:32PM1.18m | 6:06AM0.76m | 5:06PM1.32m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
— | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | ESE 7 | N 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | N 6 | N 7 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 18 | E 16 | E 16 |
12 | 29 | 13 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 81 | 88 | 87 | 90 | 61 | 53 | 23 | 18 | 24 | 38 | 38 | 22 | 156 | 628 | 1101 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | N 5 | N 5 | E 13 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | E 8 | E 8 | N 9 |
35 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 36 | 65 | 63 | 42 | 41 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 7 | 20 | 35 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | NNW 6 | S 6 | E 13 | E 13 | N 5 | E 13 | E 12 | SW 8 | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | S 8 | S 8 |
17 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 14 | 2 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 39 | 37 | 40 | 38 | 34 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | NE 3 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | N 8 | N 4 | N 5 |
21 | 9 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 45 | 12 | 70 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 3 | 601 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 657 | 986 | 609 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Okinawa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










