Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 273 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. 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 0.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2AM. 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+) | 8PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Yo, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking at Cottons Point.
The first week or so is a bit of a snoozer. Waves are tiny, mostly around 2 to 3 feet, and the wind is coming across or onshore, so it's all pretty choppy and poor. Not much to get stoked about.
The Best On Offer
The fire lights up at the end of the forecast. Your mark is Saturday, August 29th. The morning is the pick of the trip. We're looking at clean 3ft waves from the SSW (773 combined energy) with a sweet offshore wind from the SW keeping it glassy. The period is a long 17 seconds, so that's proper groundswell with some punch. It's not too big for a decent intermediate, but that long period might make it wall up and close out at the point.
The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 4ft, but the wind shifts cross-onshore and messes with the surface. As a backup, Friday, August 28th has a promising morning: 3ft of super-long period (19 seconds) SSW swell (734 energy) with offshore wind. It's got the grunt, but that 19-second period could be a bit tricky, making the waves fat and difficult to line up.
So, lock in the morning of Saturday, August 29th for your best chance at clean, rippable waves. It's a popular spot, so don't expect to have it to yourself. The water temp is about what you'd normally expect for this time of year.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 21°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 249 | 239 | 236 | 175 | 156 | 137 | 98 | 92 | 167 | 218 | 177 | 155 | 269 | 197 | 179 | 273 | 264 | 163 | 203 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:41PM1.37m | 8:16AM0.98m | 5:05PM1.40m | 8:13AM1.05m | 6:07PM1.49m | 8:24AM1.11m | 6:54PM1.59m | 8:38AM1.17m | 7:31PM1.68m | 8:56AM1.23m | 8:05PM1.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:43PM0.43m | 00:16AM0.32m | 9:51AM0.97m | 1:08AM0.21m | 11:54AM0.93m | 1:45AM0.11m | 12:49PM0.84m | 2:15AM0.03m | 1:27PM0.73m | 2:41AM-0.02m | 2:01PM0.63m | 3:06AM-0.06m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SW 17 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 6 |
| kJ | 249 | 239 | 236 | 175 | 156 | 137 | 98 | 31 | 167 | 218 | 41 | 98 | 269 | 37 | 179 | 59 | 264 | 163 | 61 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 33 | 27 | 18 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 92 | 19 | 17 | 99 | 155 | 21 | 197 | 85 | 273 | 126 | 87 | 123 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 19 | WSW 19 | S 10 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 14 | S 13 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 13 | 57 | 35 | 8 | 81 | 51 | 49 | 81 | 56 | 58 | 177 | 84 | 199 | 89 | 66 | 126 | 8 | 2 | 203 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | W 6 | W 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | 36 | — | 51 | 60 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 82 | 87 | 36 | 82 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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