Surf Forecasts:
Church surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 402 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Church this week:
The surf forecast for Church over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Church in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Church over the next couple weeks. It’s a slow start, but there’s a little hope if you’re patient.
Right now, the water’s sitting at about 71°, a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. Nice. But the surf? It’s a grind. The first few days are weak. Saturday the 12th brings 2ft of SW swell with a 14-second period, but the cross-on wind is spoiling it. Combined energy is low at 209. Barely worth the walk.
Sunday the 13th is even smaller, 2ft of SW swell and a cross-on breeze making it choppy. Energy around 203. Monday the 14th shows a little more – 3ft of W swell, but the period is short at 8 seconds and it’s a moderate cross-on. Not clean.
Through the week, the energy builds into the 400s and 500s, but the waves stay small, mostly 2ft to 3ft. The period improves to the mid and upper teens, so you get that groundswell push, but the wind stays cross-on. That longer period SW swell will tend to run straight at a beach break, so Church’s point setup might save it a little.
The real highlight? Look at Monday the 21st of September. Afternoon brings 3ft of SW swell with a 17-second period and combined energy hitting 622. The wind is light and onshore from the SW, which here means straight on, no cross. That could be glassy. It’s not big, but it’s the most energy of the whole run. If you’re advanced and you like working a long-period swell on a point, that’s your session.
Otherwise, the whole 16-day run is full of marginal surf. Nothing over 3ft, and the wind never turns clean offshore. The cross-on breeze keeps most days bumpy. For beginners, the size is fine, but the conditions won’t be friendly.
Bottom line: wait for Monday the 21st afternoon. That’s the best shot. The rest is mostly a gamble.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri morning, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 19 | W 10 | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 164 | 160 | 89 | 131 | 188 | 116 | 150 | 190 | 161 | 127 | 114 | 386 | 347 | 291 | 196 | 246 | 242 | 303 | 303 | 234 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:31PM1.55m | 10:44AM1.70m | 11:13PM1.36m | 11:11AM1.66m | 11:59PM1.17m | 11:38AM1.58m | 00:58AM0.99m | 12:07PM1.48m | 2:45AM0.87m | 12:46PM1.38m | 2:20PM1.29m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 4:33PM0.14m | 4:33AM0.24m | 5:15PM0.16m | 4:56AM0.41m | 5:59PM0.22m | 5:16AM0.57m | 6:51PM0.30m | 5:28AM0.72m | 8:00PM0.38m | 5:12AM0.84m | 9:44PM0.41m | 11:29PM0.35m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 7 | W 7 | W 10 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | W 6 |
| kJ | 164 | 160 | 56 | 58 | 188 | 116 | 52 | 79 | 56 | 55 | 88 | 386 | 347 | 291 | 196 | 246 | 242 | 183 | 303 | 32 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 5 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 8 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 16 | 14 | 89 | 87 | 85 | 108 | 150 | 190 | 161 | 122 | 33 | 11 | 9 | 63 | 72 | 97 | 59 | 303 | 104 | 139 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 29 | 14 | 58 | 131 | 129 | 44 | 40 | 38 | 37 | 127 | 114 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 160 | 162 | 156 | 58 | 58 | 234 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | W 3 | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 17 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 85 | 0 | 85 | 85 | 27 | 84 | 90 | 27 | 65 | 85 | 0 | 84 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 85 | 14 | 85 | 85 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Church Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Church provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Church can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Church 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 (Church) 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 Church 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.
Church is 7 km (4 miles) from San Clemente. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in San Clemente. San Clemente has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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