Surf Forecasts:
Church surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,288 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s 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 18) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Church in the next 16 days are 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, the only name on the list for this 16-day outlook is Church . It’s a beach and point setup, exposed to the southwest, always has a crowd, and it’s a very consistent wave. The water temperature is running 71°F, which is a solid 5°F warmer than average for this time of year – that’s notably warm, almost like summer has hung on.
To be brutally honest, the first week and a half is a tough slog. There’s a lot of small, weak swell with cross-onshore winds. The energy is low to moderate, with readings like 212, 221, and 297 (moderate energy) but the wind is just ruining it. The swell is around 2ft to 3ft, period mostly between 14 and 19 seconds, which is a decent long-period groundswell, but with the wind chopping it up, it’s a mess. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are write-offs. Saturday the 18th has a bit more energy (447 to 492) but still light cross-onshore wind, so it’s barely a looker.
The tide conditions and wind just keep it in the “marginal” or “poor” bracket for days. From Sunday the 19th, the swell jumps up to 6ft to 6ft, with energy climbing into the strong range (1333 to 1316). That’s a solid SSW swell, but again, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it fat and choppy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle wave right now.
The real standout, and the only period I’d get excited about, is the final weekend and into the following week. Saturday the 26th of July morning and afternoon look promising. The swell holds at 4ft from the SW, with a very long period of 19 seconds, and the wind turns on (offshore) at 6 mph. The energy is strong at 1345, and the conditions are “unknown” for the wave state, but offshore wind with that much period means clean, lined-up waves. This is the best on offer. The Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th also have light offshore winds in the mornings, with 4ft swell from the SSW and long periods of 17-19 seconds, keeping energy high (1105 to 1243). This is the window. It’s a point break, so that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely, though be aware it’s always crowded here.
The rest of the month fades back into small, weak, and wind-affected junk. If you can wait, the 26th and 27th are your days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 122 | 122 | 125 | 181 | 103 | 136 | 366 | 379 | 428 | 1288 | 1229 | 1111 | 455 | 793 | 334 | 519 | 474 | 474 | 443 | 394 | 316 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:47AM1.34m | 11:06PM1.86m | 12:29PM1.38m | 11:54PM1.64m | 1:12PM1.41m | 00:44AM1.39m | 1:58PM1.43m | 1:45AM1.14m | 2:48PM1.44m | 3:09AM0.93m | 3:42PM1.45m | 5:11AM0.84m | 4:40PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:04PM0.49m | 6:07AM-0.21m | 5:59PM0.50m | 6:44AM-0.03m | 7:01PM0.53m | 7:19AM0.16m | 8:13PM0.55m | 7:54AM0.37m | 9:43PM0.52m | 8:31AM0.55m | 11:24PM0.42m | 9:18AM0.71m | 00:41AM0.28m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — |
 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 21 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 51 | 43 | 35 | 40 | 103 | 136 | 366 | 379 | 428 | 1288 | 1229 | 1111 | 411 | 793 | 325 | 519 | 474 | 474 | 443 | 394 | 316 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | W 7 | W 7 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 20 | SSW 16 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | W 5 | W 5 | S 13 |
| kJ | 122 | 122 | 107 | 181 | 25 | 14 | 69 | 102 | 155 | 45 | 43 | 21 | 455 | 75 | 334 | 75 | 55 | 35 | 8 | 8 | 84 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 18 | S 11 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 16 | — | WNW 15 | S 14 | W 5 | W 14 | W 4 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | SW 8 | SW 7 | W 5 |
| kJ | 48 | 47 | 125 | 74 | 83 | 39 | 12 | 11 | 93 | — | 44 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 22 | 38 | 21 | 19 | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 3 | S 4 | SSW 4 | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 84 | 84 | 27 | 90 | 84 | 2 | 65 | 85 | 63 | 85 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 85 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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