Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,136 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. 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 1.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cottons Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey mate, Rusty here. Let's run through what's coming up for Cottons Point.
The first few days are dead flat. Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th – small, choppy, nothing to get excited about. Sunday the 19th shows a little pulse, 2.6ft to 3.3ft SW swell with light onshore wind, but still marginal. The combined energy climbs from 614 to 956, so there's some movement. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st stay in the marginal zone, 3.3ft to 4ft, cross-onshore, not clean. Wednesday the 22nd gets a bit windier and drops back to poor. Thursday the 23rd sees a bump to 4.3ft, but still cross-onshore.
The real standout lands on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th. Saturday morning we've got a 6.2ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, energy a solid 2332. Wind is light onshore from the SW at 6 mph – not ideal, but light enough. By Saturday afternoon the swell hits 6.6ft, energy 2123, and the period drops to 14 seconds. Sunday the 26th still holds a 4.9ft swell in the morning, energy 1500, with light onshore wind again. For a reef and point, these long-period groundswells (16-18 seconds) will wrap in nicely and give some decent shape. The light onshore breeze won't kill it, but it won't be glassy. Crowds are possible – this spot is consistent and sometimes busy, so you might have company.
After that, the swell backs off but stays rideable through the end of July. Monday the 27th
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 125 | 181 | 103 | 136 | 366 | 379 | 127 | 334 | 567 | 461 | 449 | 624 | 587 | 387 | 474 | 474 | 334 | 422 | 417 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:06PM1.86m | 12:29PM1.38m | 11:54PM1.64m | 1:12PM1.41m | 00:44AM1.39m | 1:58PM1.43m | 1:45AM1.14m | 2:48PM1.44m | 3:09AM0.93m | 3:42PM1.45m | 5:11AM0.84m | 4:40PM1.47m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:07AM-0.21m | 5:59PM0.50m | 6:44AM-0.03m | 7:01PM0.53m | 7:19AM0.16m | 8:13PM0.55m | 7:54AM0.37m | 9:43PM0.52m | 8:31AM0.55m | 11:24PM0.42m | 9:18AM0.71m | 00:41AM0.28m | |||||||
 | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | 8:00 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 7 | WSW 7 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 11 | SW 17 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 13 |
| kJ | 45 | 40 | 27 | 136 | 366 | 379 | 81 | 334 | 347 | 327 | 327 | 624 | 587 | 387 | 474 | 474 | 334 | 422 | 417 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 14 | W 7 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | S 11 | SW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | S 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 107 | 181 | 103 | 14 | 69 | 97 | 127 | 108 | 567 | 461 | 449 | 247 | 249 | 140 | 116 | 57 | 322 | 325 | 325 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 18 | S 12 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 13 | S 13 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | W 5 | SSW 20 | W 14 | SW 12 | SW 11 | S 8 | SW 8 | SW 7 | WSW 6 |
| kJ | 125 | 74 | 83 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 44 | 166 | 42 | 42 | 4 | 75 | 16 | 120 | 82 | 35 | 35 | 17 | 64 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 3 | S 3 | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | WNW 3 | W 4 | W 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 11 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 87 | 82 | 65 | 67 | 87 | 0 | 82 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 |
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