Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 553 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s 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 (Sep 16) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 21st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right now, Cottons Point (Big Island) is caught in a stretch of pretty ordinary conditions, and honestly, it’s looking a bit flat and funky for the next couple of weeks. There’s a real gap here — we’re talking several days of nothing to get excited about, with clean surf pretty much off the table for the foreseeable future.
Starting this Wednesday morning, we’ve got a small 3ft SSW swell pushing through, but the wind is cross-on and the energy is weak. The water is sitting around 59°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re waiting for something decent. That early surf is poor – just small, lumpy stuff you’d probably paddle past. The next couple days follow the same script: 2ft to 3ft, SW direction, light but onshore winds, and not much push. By Friday the swell drops a touch to 2ft, and honestly, it's marginal.
There’s a slight bump on the weekend – Saturday and Sunday the swell builds a little to 3ft, still from the SW, and with light winds it might clean up a bit. Sunday morning looks like the best of a so-so bunch: 3ft, 18-second period, clean-ish with a light onshore breeze. The tide and shape are questionable, but if you’re keen, that’s your window. Combined energy is in the 594 to 621 range that day, which is moderate — at least it’s something.
After that, early next week (Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd) we drop back to 3ft but the period shortens to 16 seconds, and the winds turn a bit more cross-on. It’s not terrible, but you’re not going to be sending it. By next Wednesday and Thursday, the swell fades and the wind picks up — Thursday afternoon even shows some rain showers and a moderate cross-onshore breeze, which will chop it right up.
Heading into the following weekend (September 26-27), there’s another nudge to 3ft-3ft, but the period drops to 12-13 seconds, and the wind is cross-on to onshore. It’s messy, and at 3ft you’re looking at tiny, gutless waves. The final days of the forecast (September 28-30) fade out with 2ft to 2ft SW swells and light winds, but it’s mostly poor to marginal. To be honest, the pick of the whole window is Sunday the 20th — it’s still small, but it’s the cleanest and most consistent it’ll be. Bring a longboard and low expectations, because this stretch is a paddling workout, not a wave-counting day.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 114 | 390 | 347 | 366 | 288 | 275 | 405 | 303 | 303 | 234 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 522 | 522 | 499 | 470 | 547 | 443 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:58AM0.99m | 12:07PM1.48m | 2:45AM0.87m | 12:46PM1.38m | 2:20PM1.29m | 7:59AM1.06m | 4:25PM1.30m | 7:35AM1.13m | 5:38PM1.39m | 7:40AM1.20m | 6:27PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:28AM0.72m | 8:00PM0.38m | 5:12AM0.84m | 9:44PM0.41m | 11:29PM0.35m | 9:58AM1.05m | 00:26AM0.26m | 11:54AM0.95m | 1:02AM0.17m | 12:37PM0.81m | 1:31AM0.10m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:47 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 88 | 390 | 347 | 366 | 288 | 275 | 405 | 183 | 303 | 139 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 522 | 522 | 499 | 470 | 547 | 443 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 9 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 21 | 9 | 9 | 28 | 160 | 162 | 156 | 303 | 141 | 234 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 16 | 24 | 33 | 37 | 26 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | S 13 | SSW 8 | S 12 | NW 11 | W 5 | S 11 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 114 | 15 | 14 | 30 | 14 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 56 | 75 | 51 | 49 | 47 | 45 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 8 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 82 | 87 | 0 | 82 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 22 |
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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