Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 28 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
22.7° C
3.4° 

Cottons Point surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cottons Point surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,120 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 14s. 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 1.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Wed 29th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 31st Jul)5ft (1.6m) 14s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 28th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next stretch.

We’ve got Cottons Point as the only spot in the mix, so that’s where our focus is. The pattern starts off with a bit of a pulse of energy early on, but honestly, it’s a tough outlook. The water is sitting at 73°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real standout, feels more like a tropical lagoon than a typical July morning.

The first few days, starting Tuesday the 28th of July, have some size on offer. Tuesday morning sees a 4ft swell pushing in from the SSW, with a very long 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a solid 1062 (moderate to strong). But here’s the rub – the wind is a cross-on at 9 mph, putting a bit of a chop on the face. It’s surfable, but a little lumpy. The afternoon cleans up a bit with the wind swinging on and dropping to 6 mph, but it’s still not pristine. The best bet of the whole window is probably Tuesday afternoon – the swell is still 4ft from the SSW, the period is still a juicy 17 seconds, and the light onshore breeze at 6 mph keeps things from getting blown out. It’s not a classic, but it’s the closest we get to clean.

Wednesday the 29th drops off a touch to 4ft-4ft, still with that long period, but the wind stays messy. By Thursday and Friday the size bumps up a little on Friday morning to 5ft from the S, but the period drops to 13 seconds and the wind is still onshore or cross-on. The energy drops too, hitting around 835 on Friday. It’s all a bit of a struggle, with the wave comment calling it “marginal” or “poor” for the entire run.

From Saturday the 1st of August, the swell really starts to fade. We drop to 2ft by Sunday the 2nd, and then it’s a long, drawn-out stretch of tiny surf. For the next week and a half, from the 2nd of August right through to the 12th of August, the swell barely cracks 3ft on the best days. The energy readings are mostly in the low hundreds – a weak 116 on the 6th, a 130 on the 6th afternoon – just not enough to get excited about. There’s a tiny spike on the 12th of August with 3ft and an 18-second period, but that’s almost two weeks out and the wind is still not favourable.

So, if you’re desperate for a paddle, Tuesday the 28th afternoon is the pick. The water is absurdly warm, the long-period swell has some push, and the wind is light. But don’t expect perfection. The rest of the 16-day window is a real flat spell. For a spot that’s *consistent*, this is a dry run. It won’t stay this way forever, but for now, it’s a time to check the wax and wait.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu morning, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
3
1
1
3
1
1
2
1
2
3
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1.1
SSW
15
1.5
S
14
1.5
S
13
1.5
S
13
1.5
SSW
13
1.4
SSW
12
1.2
SSW
12
0.9
SSW
10
0.5
SW
14
0.5
SW
13
0.5
SW
13
0.5
SW
13
0.5
SW
13
0.4
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1009
1020
938
612
724
499
422
558
931
812
740
713
567
406
152
89
88
83
80
91
91
Wind (km/h)
15
SSW
10
SW
10
SE
15
S
10
SW
5
S
10
WSW
10
WSW
5
SSE
10
WSW
10
WSW
0
WSW
10
SW
10
WSW
5
SSE
15
SSW
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
0
S
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
on
on
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
High Tide
9:59AM1.15m
8:55PM1.80m
10:24AM1.19m
9:27PM1.80m
10:49AM1.24m
9:59PM1.76m
11:17AM1.29m
10:31PM1.68m
11:45AM1.34m
11:06PM1.55m
12:14PM1.39m
11:46PM1.37m
12:48PM1.44m
00:36AM1.16m
Low Tide
2:46PM0.66m
4:09AM-0.14m
3:21PM0.61m
4:36AM-0.13m
3:58PM0.58m
5:03AM-0.09m
4:35PM0.55m
5:29AM-0.02m
5:17PM0.54m
5:54AM0.09m
6:05PM0.53m
6:19AM0.23m
7:05PM0.52m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:03
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:52
7:52
7:51
7:51
7:50
7:49
7:47
 mm
Temp °C
24
24
21
24
24
21
25
25
22
26
26
24
27
27
24
26
26
22
24
25
22
Feels °C
25
25
22
24
24
23
26
25
24
26
26
26
28
27
26
27
26
24
25
26
24
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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