Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Issued: 4 am 02 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
20.3° C

2.1°C warmer than normal for this time of year

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 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 TypeTime (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 Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly 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
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
0
3
1
1
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
18
0.6
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
18
0.7
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
17
0.8
SSW
16
0.6
SSW
20
0.8
SSW
20
0.9
SSW
18
1
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
347
438
142
392
397
239
239
239
233
348
273
453
330
261
485
565
603
497
667
651
675
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
15
W
5
W
10
WSW
15
W
5
W
15
W
15
W
5
WNW
10
WSW
10
WSW
0
NW
10
SW
15
W
5
SSW
15
SW
10
SW
5
SSE
10
SW
10
WSW
5
SSE
Wind State
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:43
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:46
5:47
5:47
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
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)
0.8
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
18
0.6
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
18
0.7
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
17
0.8
SSW
16
0.7
SW
16
0.9
W
7
0.9
SSW
18
1
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
17
Energy kJ
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)
0.4
W
5
0.4
SSW
14
0.5
W
4
0.3
S
11
0.3
S
10
0.4
W
4
0.4
SSW
19
0.5
SSW
19
0.4
W
4
0.7
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.7
W
6
0.7
W
6
0.7
W
7
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
W
7
0.8
W
7
0.8
W
7
0.8
W
7
0.7
W
7
0.5
W
10
Energy kJ
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)
0.3
S
11
0.3
S
11
0.3
SSW
18
0.1
S
23
0.2
SSW
21
0.3
S
10
0.3
S
10
0.3
S
10
0.4
SSW
19
0.2
SSW
9
0.2
SSW
24
0.4
SSW
22
0.4
SSW
21
0.6
SSW
20
0.8
SSW
20
0.6
SSW
15
0.7
SW
15
0.7
SSW
15
0.4
S
19
Energy kJ
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)
0.4
W
5
0.4
W
5
0.5
W
5
0.3
W
4
0.5
W
3
0.4
W
5
0.5
W
5
Energy kJ
9
8
13
3
5
7
14
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
2
2
3
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
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
Best forecast wave conditions in United States
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
3
3
2
2
3
3
3
4
3
2
4
3
2
4
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
5
9
5
9
5
7
5
5
9
7
7
6
9
8
6
6
7
9
7
7
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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