
Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 2 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 5 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 759 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 3 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Friday (Jul 03) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s 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 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 5AM. 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+) | 5AM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 5th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this forecast is a bit of a flat spell. The first real surf worth paddling out for isn't until Thursday morning the 2nd of July at Cottons Point (reef and point). It’s not a cracker, but it’s our first chance. The water is sitting at a very warm 69°, which is over two degrees warmer than what we’d normally expect for this time of year – that’s a real standout for the region.
Thursday morning brings a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 378, and with a light WSW offshore breeze of 6 mph, that offshore wind will have those lines looking tidy. It’s a marginal call with tide likely playing games, but if you hit that window, it’s the pick of the first few days.
From Thursday afternoon right through Saturday the 4th of July, the wind swings cross-on and the conditions just get messy – the combined energy picks up a bit but the surface gets chopped up and the quality drops right off. Not worth your time.
Sunday the 5th of July morning has another brief window with a glassy 3ft, 18-second groundswell and an offshore breeze again – combined energy up to 517 (moderate). But it’s still marked marginal, probably a tide issue. It’s the next best moment before the wait continues.
Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th of July both have morning offshores, and Tuesday afternoon actually sees the swell nudge up to 3ft with a steady 18-second period from the SSW, combined energy hitting 881 – that’s the strongest energy in the whole run. But again, it’s flagged as marginal. If you can read the banks and the tide, Tuesday arvo might surprise you.
Wednesday the 8th of July morning is another similar setup: 4ft, 16-second SSW swell with light offshore SW winds, 6 mph, and combined energy at 848. The wave height is starting to push toward that intermediate zone, but the quality is still uncertain due to tide. This is likely the best looking morning of the first week.
After that, from Thursday the 9th through to the end of the second week, the surf slowly winds down. There are no real standouts. Most days are a mix of weak cross-on breezes and dropping swell – by the 14th of July the swell dips below 2ft, and the combined energy drops into the low 200s. The 15th and 16th of July see the swell shrinking to 1ft – barely a ripple. The 17th of July has a brief pulse of long-period energy (19 seconds) and combined energy of 282, but it’s small and cross-on.
Honest truth: the best window is the first Tuesday to Wednesday, 7th and 8th of July – if you can dodge the tide. After that, it’s a waiting game. The area doesn’t stay flat for long usually, so keep an eye on it.
Stay frothy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 2 | Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
347 | 438 | 142 | 392 | 397 | 239 | 239 | 239 | 233 | 348 | 273 | 453 | 330 | 261 | 485 | 565 | 603 | 497 | 667 | 651 | 675 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 12:05PM1.10m | 10:45PM1.65m | 12:40PM1.13m | 11:20PM1.55m | 1:17PM1.18m | 11:59PM1.41m | 1:56PM1.23m | 00:49AM1.23m | 2:39PM1.32m | 2:04AM1.04m | 3:27PM1.42m | 3:52AM0.90m | 4:19PM1.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:43PM0.71m | 6:10AM-0.07m | 5:27PM0.72m | 6:42AM0.00m | 6:20PM0.73m | 7:13AM0.11m | 7:27PM0.72m | 7:47AM0.23m | 8:54PM0.66m | 8:25AM0.37m | 10:29PM0.51m | 9:13AM0.51m | 11:52PM0.29m | ||||||||
5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | |
— | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | W 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 |
347 | 438 | 142 | 392 | 397 | 239 | 239 | 239 | 233 | 348 | 273 | 453 | 330 | 261 | 69 | 565 | 603 | 497 | 667 | 651 | 675 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | SSW 14 | W 4 | S 11 | S 10 | W 4 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | W 4 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | SSW 16 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 10 |
8 | 81 | 9 | 21 | 19 | 6 | 148 | 212 | 6 | 154 | 116 | 31 | 38 | 42 | 392 | 61 | 58 | 56 | 63 | 44 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 18 | S 23 | SSW 21 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 9 | SSW 24 | SSW 22 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | S 19 | — | — |
23 | 21 | 60 | 11 | 43 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 146 | 8 | 54 | 181 | 180 | 259 | 485 | 181 | 220 | 188 | 118 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 5 | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | W 4 | W 3 | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 9 | — | 8 | 13 | — | 3 | 5 | — | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 87 | 87 | 21 | 288 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 82 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 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.










