
Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SSW swell with 843 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. 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 1.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM. 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+) | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, looking straight at the charts for the local area.
Gotta be honest with you, the next couple weeks are looking like a bit of a flat spell. We’re staring at a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly messy surf. The first recommendation isn’t until late in the period, so we’ve got a long wait for anything even worth a mention.
For the best part of the first week, from Sunday the 9th through to at least the middle of the following week, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got swells barely cracking 3 feet, mostly from the SSW, but the winds are constantly cross-onshore or onshore. The combined wave energy is very low, with values in the 300 to 400 range, indicating weak and disorganised waves. This is going to be a real struggle to get a decent ride. Honestly, for a beach and reef setup like Cottons Point, the conditions are more suited to a kite session than a paddle.
Things don't start looking even *marginal* until the weekend of the 14th and 15th. The highlight, and I mean the only real standout in this whole 16-day run, is looking like Saturday afternoon, the 15th of August. We see a slight uptick in swell to about 4 feet, from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s classic groundswell energy, and the combined energy reads 784, which is moderate but promising for the size. The real kicker though? Glassy conditions. That’s a big deal.
Cottons Point is a consistent reef and point break, so it handles that kind of long-period swell better than a beach break. With the optimum swell from the SW and glassy winds, this could be a tidy window. Don't expect huge waves, but for clean, lined-up waves in the waist-to-chest high range, this is your only real shot. Just keep in mind it can get busy, so you might have some company.
After that, it's back to the doldrums. The following Monday and Tuesday, the 17th and 18th, the wind picks up again and the swell drops. The second week is mostly small and choppy, with a few marginal moments on the 21st and 23rd of August where the swell is tiny, around 2 to 2 feet, and the wind is still not ideal. Not worth getting excited about.
So there you have it. A long flat spell, a single glassy window on the 15th, and then back to small stuff. It's a quiet run for the area, but forecasts can change. Keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 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 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
362 | 309 | 242 | 239 | 207 | 186 | 184 | 95 | 252 | 316 | 195 | 264 | 306 | 201 | 430 | 280 | 302 | 404 | 807 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | on | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 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 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
362 | 309 | 242 | 239 | 207 | 139 | 137 | 95 | 252 | 316 | 195 | 264 | 306 | 201 | 430 | 280 | 217 | 404 | 807 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 13 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | S 11 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 18 | SW 14 | SW 9 |
12 | 3 | 30 | 58 | 106 | 186 | 184 | 75 | 98 | 55 | 44 | 61 | 63 | 85 | 24 | 38 | 302 | 214 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
83 | 19 | 72 | 71 | 12 | 39 | 33 | 51 | 75 | 44 | 44 | 49 | 2 | 25 | 44 | 149 | 50 | 46 | 24 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | SSW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | W 8 | — | — | SW 9 | WNW 3 |
— | 14 | 8 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 11 | — | — | 21 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 8 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
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.











