Church Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.38° N 117.58° W

Church Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 25 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Church sea temperature is
21.8° C
2.5° 

Church surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Church surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 19s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, S swell with 1,484 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 20s 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 (Jul 25) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 20s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Church in the next 16 days are 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sat 25th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 20s
Best Surf 2AM (Sun 26th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 19s
Most Powerful11AM (Fri 31st Jul)6ft (1.9m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, it’s Rusty here with a look at what Church has on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Now, I gotta be straight with you—this isn’t going to be one for the history books. The data tells me we’ve got a bit of a slow burner here, and the real action might take a bit of patience.

The first decent run of surf kicks off on Saturday the 25th of July, but don’t get too excited just yet. The conditions are described as marginal, so we’re not looking at perfection. It’s an advanced-level spot, and it breaks consistently, which is the one saving grace. The water temperature is sitting at 71°F, which is a solid 5°F warmer than what’s normal for this time of year—definitely a standout, that’s very unusual warmth. You’ll want a thin suit or maybe just a rashie.

Right, let’s get into it. Saturday the 25th sees a long-period SSW groundswell of 3ft coming in with a 21-second period. That’s a proper, very long period swell, which brings heaps of energy but can straighten out at beach breaks. At Church, which is a beach and point setup, it should wrap in a bit better. The wind is light and onshore, which isn't ideal, but it’s not howling. The combined swell energy is moderate (911). Honestly, it’s a looker for the advanced crew, but the onshore breeze and “marginal surf” tag means I’d keep the expectations low.

Through the rest of the week, the swell slowly ticks up. By Monday the 27th, we’re seeing 4ft from the SSW with an 18-second period and solid combined energy (1146). Still, the onshore wind is going to mess with the surface. This pattern sticks around: waist-to-chest high sets, plenty of energy in the water, but the wind keeps it from being a real standout.

Now, hold onto your leash. The best chance we get looks like Thursday the 30th of July into Friday the 31st. On Thursday afternoon, the swell pushes to 5ft from the south with a 14-second period, and the energy jumps to moderate (1029). The wind goes light and onshore, which is still not perfect but much better. The real pick, though, is Friday the 31st. The morning session shows a solid 6ft south swell, a 14-second period, and the combined energy really pumps up (1505). That’s strong energy for this area. The wind is light onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but for the advanced surfers out there, this is your window. This is the standout of the whole outlook. Swell is getting towards the 7ft mark, so it’s going to be a proper challenge—experts only after 8ft, and this is close to that territory.

After that peak, it’s a slow fade into August. The first few days of the new month will still have some rideable swell, around 5ft, but the energy drops off and the wind starts to turn more cross-on. Then, from Sunday the 2nd of August onward, it’s pretty much game over. The swell drops to under 3ft, the energy readings are weak (values down in the 100-200 range), and the conditions are described as poor. That gap of poor conditions lasts for the next week, all the way through to Sunday the 9th of August. Don’t bother paddling out during that period—nothing happening.

So, to sum it up: if you’re an advanced surfer looking for a challenge, pencil in Friday the 31st of July for the best size and energy. It won’t be glassy, but it’ll be the most juice on offer. For the rest of us, the first week is just a tease, and the second week is a flat spell. That’s the story for Church this time around.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
4
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
4
2
2
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
21
0.9
SW
21
1.2
SW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.1
SW
18
1.1
SW
18
1.3
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.3
SSW
16
1.2
S
15
1.6
S
14
1.7
S
14
1.9
S
14
1.9
SSW
14
1.7
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
799
640
1100
863
743
719
1056
893
771
921
1020
818
519
724
783
606
1016
1142
1484
1387
1058
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
10
SW
5
SW
10
SW
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
10
SSE
15
SSW
10
SSW
10
SE
15
S
15
S
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
5
S
10
WSW
15
W
5
SSE
Wind State
on
on
glassy
on
on
cross
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
8:48AM1.02m
7:09PM1.64m
9:12AM1.07m
7:47PM1.70m
9:35AM1.11m
8:23PM1.76m
9:59AM1.15m
8:55PM1.80m
10:24AM1.19m
9:27PM1.80m
10:49AM1.24m
9:59PM1.76m
11:17AM1.29m
10:31PM1.68m
Low Tide
12:47PM0.83m
2:43AM-0.03m
1:32PM0.78m
3:13AM-0.08m
2:10PM0.72m
3:42AM-0.12m
2:46PM0.66m
4:09AM-0.14m
3:21PM0.61m
4:36AM-0.13m
3:58PM0.58m
5:03AM-0.09m
4:35PM0.55m
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:56
5:58
5:58
5:58
6:00
6:01
6:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:54
7:53
7:53
7:52
7:52
7:51
7:50
 mm
Temp °C
23
24
21
24
25
23
25
25
22
24
24
21
24
24
21
23
24
21
24
25
22
Feels °C
24
25
23
25
26
26
26
26
24
24
24
22
24
24
22
24
25
23
25
25
24
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Church:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Church surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest