
Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 17s period, SSW swell with 807 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cottons Point this week:
The surf forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cottons Point in the next 16 days are 1.2m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, folks. Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this next couple of weeks is a tough one for us here at Cottons Point. We’ve got a consistent, long-period groundswell from the SSW pushing through, but the wind just won’t play ball. It’s cross-on most of the time, and that’s just ruining what could be some decent lines. The water is a balmy 75°, which is way warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly that’s 8° above average.
We kick off Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th with a clean-looking swell of 3ft to 3ft, coming from the SSW. The period is a long 15 to 17 seconds, which means there’s plenty of energy in the water. The combined energy readings are sitting in the moderate range (432 on Saturday morning, 339 on Sunday), so there’s some push. But the wind is from the W and WSW at 6-9 mph, right onshore or cross-on, just making a mess of it. The wave comment is "poor surf conditions" for a reason. It’s a frustrating start.
Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are much the same. The swell drops a little to 2ft-3ft, but we finally get a bit of a break on Monday afternoon with the wind turning straight onshore from the SW at 6 mph. On Tuesday we get some light onshore winds from the SSW. Even then, the wave quality is still graded as "poor" or "marginal." The swell direction is SSW, which is what you want here, but the wind is the enemy.
The middle of the week, from Wednesday the 12th through to Friday the 14th, is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell stays around 2ft to 3ft, with periods of 16-18 seconds. The combined energy picks up, especially on Friday the 14th, hitting 594 in the morning and 700 in the afternoon – that’s solid energy for this spot. But again, the wind is from the W and WSW, mostly cross-on, with a few brief moments of onshore flow. The afternoon of Wednesday the 12th is particularly poor with a moderate 9 mph onshore breeze. The wave comment lingers on "poor surf conditions" or "marginal." It’s a real shame because the energy is there.
The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the biggest swell of the forecast period. Saturday the 15th has a 4ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 731. Sunday the 16th is similar with a 4ft SW swell and 681 energy. These are the best-sized waves we’ll see, but the wind is still cross-on from the W and WNW. It’s going to be choppy and messy. For a point and reef setup like ours, the long period should be giving us some nice lined-up waves, but the wind is just going to tear them apart. It’s more of a challenge than a treat.
The second week, from Monday the 17th onwards, the swell drops back to 2ft to 3ft, and the energy levels drop off a cliff, hitting the low 200s by the 21st. The wind lightens up, often onshore from the SSW or WSW. We get a few "marginal" windows in the afternoons, like Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th, where the wind is light, but the swell is small and weak. It’s a real grind.
So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn’t a clear winner. The biggest surf is on the 15th and 16th, but it’s too messy. The best chance for a clean wave might be a pick of the litter on the 20th or 21st, when the swell is small but the wind is light onshore. It’s a day for a longboard, if you can find a shoulder. We’re looking at a 16-day stretch with no real quality. It’s a long wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
344 | 295 | 362 | 309 | 242 | 239 | 207 | 186 | 184 | 95 | 252 | 316 | 195 | 264 | 306 | 255 | 295 | 284 | 302 | 404 | 807 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:58PM1.80m | 8:13AM1.11m | 6:57PM1.93m | 8:47AM1.21m | 7:49PM2.03m | 9:21AM1.31m | 8:37PM2.07m | 9:55AM1.40m | 9:22PM2.03m | 10:28AM1.47m | 10:06PM1.92m | 11:02AM1.53m | 10:48PM1.74m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:25AM0.83m | 1:42AM-0.16m | 12:41PM0.74m | 2:27AM-0.29m | 1:39PM0.62m | 3:07AM-0.35m | 2:30PM0.50m | 3:44AM-0.35m | 3:17PM0.40m | 4:19AM-0.29m | 4:04PM0.34m | 4:52AM-0.17m | 4:50PM0.32m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 21 |
Feels °C | 27 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
344 | 295 | 362 | 309 | 242 | 239 | 207 | 139 | 137 | 95 | 252 | 316 | 195 | 264 | 306 | 255 | 295 | 284 | 217 | 404 | 807 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 5 | W 13 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | S 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 14 | S 9 |
81 | 56 | 11 | 3 | 30 | 42 | 106 | 186 | 184 | 75 | 98 | 55 | 42 | 61 | 63 | 35 | 33 | 149 | 302 | 214 | 38 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | W 12 | SSW 12 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | W 9 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 10 | S 12 |
4 | 3 | 83 | 19 | 72 | 71 | 12 | 39 | 33 | 51 | 75 | 44 | 61 | 48 | 2 | 25 | 23 | 39 | 72 | 72 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 3 | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | SSW 11 | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | W 6 | — | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
3 | 5 | — | 8 | 8 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | 10 | 9 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 236 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 82 | 87 | 73 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 155 | 11 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cottons Point Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cottons Point provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cottons Point can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cottons Point 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 (Cottons Point) 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 Cottons Point 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.
Cottons Point is 5 km (3 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.











