Surf Forecasts:
Church surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, S swell with 699 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period with SSW 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Church in the next 16 days are 1.6m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church over the next 16 days.
Hey crew, Rusty here with a look at the Church (beach and point) for the next 16 days. I won't sugarcoat it—this forecast is a tough read. For a spot that's usually pumping and super consistent, we've got a long wait for anything proper.
We start Sunday the 12th with a combo swell pushing 3ft from the SSW, with a period around 14 seconds and combined energy hitting a moderate 386. The problem is the wind is blowing onshore from the WSW. The water is about 68°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Otherwise, it's just poor, blown-out conditions. This grim pattern hangs around for days.
Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are more of the same: small, cross-onshore slop in the 2ft to 3ft range. Tuesday afternoon offers a glimmer with a very long 18-second period, but it's still only a weak 2ft and choppy. Don't bother.
Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are nearly flat. The swell drops to a tiny 1ft on Wednesday with a 17-second period—too small to ride. Thursday bumps up to 3ft but it’s a short-period windswell from the west at just 8 seconds, and still cross-onshore. This setup looks better for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
We get a real energy injection on Saturday the 18th, with the swell up to 4ft from the south and a combined energy reading of 924 (moderate). But again, the wind is cross-onshore, making it messy. Sunday the 19th offers similar size with a long 17-second period, but it's still cross-onshore.
Now, look ahead to Wednesday the 22nd. The swell holds around 3ft from the south, but the combined energy jumps to 1306, and we have light cross-onshore winds. It's cleaner and might be worth a paddle.
The true standout is Thursday the 23rd. This is the big one. The swell hits a solid 7ft from the south (that's expert territory only), with a powerful combined energy of 1647. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW, keeping it relatively clean. This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the whole run. For experienced surfers, this is the day. Just be aware it's heavy.
Friday the 24th backs off a touch to 6ft, still holding strong energy at 1443, but the wind swings more westerly and picks up. It'll be a bit lumpier, but still a solid day for the advanced crew.
The final weekend, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, starts to fade. Saturday morning is 5ft from the SSW, but by the afternoon we get an offshore breeze from the SW, cleaning up the 4ft swell. That might be the cleanest, most user-friendly window of the whole run if you want something smaller and glassy. That long 20-second period on Sunday the 26th is a proper groundswell, but it drops to just 2ft.
So, a long, poor start, then a solid, heavy couple of days for the big-wave riders around the 23rd and 24th.
Keep your head up,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 8 | W 10 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 316 | 316 | 277 | 312 | 176 | 213 | 133 | 154 | 194 | 107 | 96 | 161 | 133 | 175 | 126 | 181 | 83 | 183 | 508 | 513 | 699 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:01AM1.10m | 7:53PM2.06m | 9:44AM1.17m | 8:43PM2.11m | 10:25AM1.23m | 9:32PM2.10m | 11:06AM1.29m | 10:19PM2.02m | 11:47AM1.34m | 11:06PM1.86m | 12:29PM1.38m | 11:54PM1.64m | 1:12PM1.41m | 00:44AM1.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:33PM0.66m | 3:23AM-0.44m | 2:28PM0.60m | 4:07AM-0.47m | 3:20PM0.54m | 4:49AM-0.44m | 4:12PM0.50m | 5:29AM-0.35m | 5:04PM0.49m | 6:07AM-0.21m | 5:59PM0.50m | 6:44AM-0.03m | 7:01PM0.53m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — |
 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 12 | SSW 13 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 |
| kJ | 316 | 316 | 277 | 312 | 176 | 213 | 133 | 77 | 133 | 48 | 51 | 63 | 133 | 175 | 57 | 38 | 20 | 183 | 508 | 513 | 699 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SW 21 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | S 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 68 | 113 | 62 | 18 | 120 | 133 | 76 | 154 | 194 | 95 | 85 | 161 | 122 | 122 | 107 | 181 | 74 | 136 | 366 | 311 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SW 21 | S 16 | SW 18 | SW 19 | S 12 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | W 4 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 18 | W 6 | SW 13 | W 6 | WNW 16 |
| kJ | 2 | 17 | 46 | 12 | 59 | 25 | 58 | 65 | 1 | 107 | 96 | 48 | 48 | 28 | 126 | 74 | 83 | 11 | 44 | 6 | 47 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | W 4 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | — | W 6 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 8 | 8 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 6 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 84 | 85 | 0 | 75 | 85 | 85 | 208 | 85 | 0 | 84 | 85 | 63 | 84 | 84 | 27 | 90 | 90 | 0 | 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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