Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 560 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period with SW 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s is also forecast. 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 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me tell you what we’ve got coming up at Cottons Point.
Honestly, the outlook over this whole 16-day run is pretty flat and disappointing. Day after day, we’re looking at small, weak surf and onshore or cross-onshore winds that mess up the surface. There’s a real dry spell here. Starting from Tuesday, September 8th right through the middle of the month, none of it looks worth paddling for. You’ll see a few small bumps, but the combo of low energy and poor winds just kills it.
The swell is running mostly small, around 2ft to 4ft, coming from the SSW to SW. With the wind stuck in a cross-onshore direction morning and afternoon for most of September, it’s going to stay bumpy and choppy. Combined swell energy is moderate at best, hitting around 536 early on, but it drops to weak numbers like 250 to 300 throughout the middle period. That's not going to grab your attention.
Water temperature is about average for this time of year, but that’s the only thing average–the wave quality isn’t.
There is a glimmer way out. The standout best chance actually shows up around Sunday, September 20th and Monday, September 21st. That’s when we get a bit more juice. Light morning winds from the SSW or WSW become offshore, which is a major deal here for getting clean faces. Swell height sits near 3ft to 4ft from the SW, with a long period of 17 to 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. Combined energy jumps up to 850 on the Sunday morning—moderate to strong. The longer period will mean better shaped waves on this reef and point set-up, and paddling out will be easier between sets. That 20th and 21st is the only time I’d even consider it, and those mornings with glassy or light offshore wind are your best shot for a session.
But keep in mind, this is a fairly consistent spot, and right now it’s a long stretch of poor. That can change with a new swell, but for now, you might want to leave the board at home for most of the two weeks unless you can wait until the 20th.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu night, min 19°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 626 | 246 | 194 | 145 | 214 | 278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 360 | 309 | 214 | 164 | 160 | 147 | 118 | 179 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 10:44AM1.70m | 11:13PM1.36m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:15PM0.16m | 4:56AM0.41m | ||||||
 |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 27 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 |
| kJ | 626 | 246 | 194 | 145 | 214 | 278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 360 | 309 | 51 | 36 | 44 | 85 | 74 | 128 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 51 | 207 | 154 | 135 | 67 | 86 | 82 | 72 | 46 | 16 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 214 | 164 | 160 | 147 | 118 | 85 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | W 5 | W 6 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 50 | 80 | 112 | 130 | 135 | 45 | 24 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 41 | 34 | 32 | 59 | 58 | 179 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 3 | WNW 5 | — | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | 3 | 5 | 17 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 35 | 87 | 73 | 87 | 87 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 82 | 87 | 65 | 82 | 87 | 13 | 67 | 87 | 26 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cottons Point surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest