Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
23.5°C
3.6° 

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 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, S swell with 1,243 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 5th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Sun 6th Sep)5.5ft (1.7m) 14s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sun 6th Sep)6ft (1.8m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here with the local scoop.

Over the next couple of weeks, we've got a bit of a rollercoaster. The first decent pulse shows up this Saturday, the 5th of September. Water temp is about what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing wild.

We're looking at Cottons Point, a reef and point break that loves a good SW swell. It's a consistent wave, so it'll be breaking, but you've gotta read the wind. The real standout is Sunday afternoon, the 6th of September. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SW, with a 15-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the NNW at just 6 mph. That's going to make the surface glassy, giving you some really clean, lined-up waves. The energy in the water is solid, and it's flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. You'll want to be there, but expect some company as crowds are possible.

Saturday morning the 5th, we've got a 3ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it's not too bad, but not perfect. The energy is moderate. Saturday afternoon the swell bumps up a bit to 4ft, but the wind picks up and makes it choppier.

Sunday morning the 6th, the swell jumps to 6ft from the S with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, adding some chop. That's a solid size, pushing into the range where it's better for experienced surfers only.

Monday the 7th, we're looking at 6ft to 6ft from the SSW, but the cross-onshore wind gets stronger through the day, making it messy and choppy. Tuesday the 8th drops off, but the wind stays up and ruins it.

From Wednesday the 9th, the swell drops to around 2ft and stays small for a long stretch. The combined energy gets weak, and we get a run of days with mostly cross-onshore or onshore wind. You'll see some long-period groundswell at 0.3ft to 0.6ft, but that's just not enough to surf on. It's a pretty quiet period through the middle of the month.

Things start to look up again around the 19th of September. We get a 3ft SW swell with an 18-second period, and the energy comes back up. The wind is light onshore, so it's not going to be clean, but it's a sign the surf is waking up again. That Saturday the 19th might be the next window, but the wind needs to improve.

So, the best bet is definitely that Sunday afternoon session on the 6th of September at Cottons Point. After that, we go into a lull for over a week. The energy returns around the 19th, but the conditions are a bit messy. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
2
3
3
4
3
2
1
4
1
0
3
2
1
2
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)
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1.1
SW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.8
S
14
1.4
S
13
1.5
S
12
1.8
SSW
13
1.9
SSW
13
1.8
SSW
13
1.6
SSW
13
1.5
SSW
11
1.3
SSW
11
1
SSW
10
0.7
SW
16
0.9
SW
17
1
SW
17
1
SW
16
1
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
620
512
628
645
1208
636
702
977
1139
1044
852
571
372
214
278
419
553
502
483
Wind (km/h)
0
NE
10
W
15
W
10
WNW
15
NW
10
NNW
15
NW
15
WNW
20
WNW
5
WNW
15
WNW
25
WNW
0
E
5
W
10
WSW
5
SSE
10
SSW
5
WSW
5
SSE
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
on
glassy
High Tide
6:58AM1.01m
4:42PM1.62m
7:24AM1.14m
5:56PM1.74m
7:51AM1.26m
6:54PM1.85m
8:19AM1.38m
7:43PM1.91m
8:47AM1.49m
8:28PM1.91m
9:17AM1.59m
9:10PM1.83m
Low Tide
11:34PM0.14m
10:07AM0.94m
00:38AM-0.01m
11:51AM0.84m
1:25AM-0.13m
12:54PM0.67m
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
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
6:28
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:09
7:08
7:07
7:06
7:05
7:04
 mm
3
3
Temp °C
21
24
25
24
23
26
25
26
26
24
26
28
26
28
28
25
26
26
24
Feels °C
22
23
24
23
23
28
26
26
24
22
24
24
24
28
26
27
26
26
27
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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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