Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,363 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 10s 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 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's get down to it.
The next couple of weeks are looking pretty lackluster for our stretch of coast over at Cottons Point. The forecast shows we’ve got a lot of small, weak surf, with the wind and conditions often not doing us any favors. It’s going to be a waiting game for any real quality, and for the first few days, you might be better off checking the tides and doing something else.
The most promising window looks like the morning of Monday, the 7th. It’s not perfect, but it’s the standout in an otherwise average period. We're looking at surf around 6ft from the SSW, with a 13-second period and solid energy behind it (1098). The wind is a bit of a cross-shore, which will put a little chop on the face, and the report even mentions questionable tide conditions, so you'll want to pick your moment and maybe look for a bank that’s holding. Still, that’s the most size and power we see all week.
After that, the wave heights taper off pretty quickly. Tuesday the 8th sees a drop to about 3.5ft and the winds turn more onshore, making things messy. From Wednesday the 9th and into the following week, we're looking at a lot of knee-to-waist high waves with light onshore breeze. The good news is, we start to see the swell period lengthening into that nice groundswell range (15-20 seconds), which means clean lines and real energy when it does arrive, but it's just not showing up with much height.
There will be a stretch of days where the surf is pretty marginal or flat, but things start to look a touch more hopeful around the 18th and beyond, with some cleaner SSW groundswell and light winds promise. Keep your expectations low in the short term, and be ready to move on that Monday morning window if it delivers.
For a point and reef set up like Cottons (Big Island), that longer period swell can be a real treat, making the waves stand up properly. But with such small sizes, it’s not going to be a game-changer. The water is about average for this time of year, so you won't need to worry about a crazy warm or cold surprise.
Alright, stay patient and keep an eye on that swell.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 593 | 1025 | 916 | 626 | 246 | 190 | 151 | 173 | 278 | 419 | 553 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 360 | 309 | 214 | 164 | 160 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 7:51AM1.26m | 6:54PM1.85m | 8:19AM1.38m | 7:43PM1.91m | 8:47AM1.49m | 8:28PM1.91m | 9:17AM1.59m | 9:10PM1.83m | 9:46AM1.66m | 9:50PM1.71m | 10:15AM1.70m | 10:31PM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:25AM-0.13m | 12:54PM0.67m | 2:04AM-0.19m | 1:43PM0.49m | 2:39AM-0.20m | 2:28PM0.34m | 3:11AM-0.15m | 3:10PM0.23m | 3:40AM-0.05m | 3:52PM0.16m | 4:08AM0.08m | 4:33PM0.14m | 4:33AM0.24m | ||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 7 |
| kJ | 593 | 1025 | 916 | 626 | 246 | 190 | 145 | 68 | 278 | 419 | 553 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 360 | 309 | 214 | 39 | 78 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 19 | W 11 | W 4 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 505 | 58 | 2 | 9 | 207 | 154 | 151 | 135 | 86 | 82 | 26 | 16 | 16 | 28 | 30 | 20 | 41 | 164 | 160 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | — | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 8 | W 5 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 7 | SW 6 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 |
| kJ | 11 | 9 | — | 51 | 80 | 112 | 130 | 173 | 45 | 11 | 72 | 46 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | W 4 | — | W 5 | W 4 | WNW 5 | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 10 | 6 | 9 | — | 7 | 6 | 17 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 34 | 11 | 87 | 11 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 82 | 65 | 65 | 87 | 87 | 30 |
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.
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