
Surf Forecasts:
Cottons Point surf forecast from 6 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 6 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 777 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Monday (Jul 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 11AM. 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+) | 2AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 7th 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 folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Cottons Point is cookin’ up over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be honest with ya, this stretch looks pretty grim for the most part – a real flat spell with dodgy winds. There’s barely a session worth paddling out for. We’ve got a 16-day outlook here, and the first sign of any half-decent surf is a no-show right from the get-go.
Ain’t much to get excited about at this reef and point set-up. The whole run is plagued by marginal conditions or just plain poor surf. We’ve got a few days here and there with some knee-high slop from the SSW, but it’s almost always crossed-up or choppy. There’s a brief window on the morning of Tuesday, 7th July, where we get a light breeze and clean-looking offshore wind from the SW, with swell around 4 ft at 18 seconds. The combined energy is decent (837), but the forecast score says it’s still marginal – likely a tide issue spoiling the party. That’s the closest we get to a highlight, but it’s not a standout. The crowds can be there sometimes, and with such weak quality, it’s hard to recommend.
After that, we go into a long stretch of nothing. From Friday, 10th July, right through to Sunday, 20th July, it’s pretty much all poor. The swell drops to under 3 ft, mostly 1 ft to 3 ft, with periods all over the place – some short 8-second junk, some long 18-second groundswell. The wind just won’t cooperate, staying cross-on or onshore from the WSW, S, or SSW. By the second week, the energy is weak, with values mostly under 400 (e.g. 178, 190). On the morning of 16th July, there’s a weird spike of 3 ft from the west, but it’s only an 8-second period – that’s just windswell bump, messy and poor.
The water temp at the start is 68°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year – that’s a small win, I guess. But man, this is a tough run. With the swell so small and the winds so crossed, it’s barely worth suiting up. Even the long-period swells (15 to 18 seconds) should hold some shape at a reef and point, but with the size so tiny and the wind always on it, they’ll just be bumpy lines. If you’re a die-hard, the early morning of Tuesday, 7th July with the offshore SW breeze and 4 ft at 18 seconds is your only real sniff – but even then, it’s a gamble. The rest of it? Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddler. The forecast can change, but as it stands, this is a big ol’ blank run for the area.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed morning, min 18°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
273 | 550 | 326 | 326 | 485 | 777 | 603 | 491 | 667 | 651 | 675 | 505 | 481 | 481 | 362 | 339 | 405 | 344 | 362 | 210 | 366 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on |
High Tide | 00:49AM1.23m | 2:39PM1.32m | 2:04AM1.04m | 3:27PM1.42m | 3:52AM0.90m | 4:19PM1.54m | 5:43AM0.87m | 5:13PM1.68m | 7:10AM0.93m | 6:07PM1.82m | 8:12AM1.02m | 7:01PM1.95m | 9:01AM1.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:27PM0.72m | 7:47AM0.23m | 8:54PM0.66m | 8:25AM0.37m | 10:29PM0.51m | 9:13AM0.51m | 11:52PM0.29m | 10:15AM0.62m | 00:56AM0.05m | 11:25AM0.69m | 1:49AM-0.16m | 12:32PM0.69m | 2:38AM-0.33m | 1:33PM0.66m | |||||||
— | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | |
8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | 8:01 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | W 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
273 | 550 | 326 | 326 | 392 | 777 | 603 | 99 | 667 | 651 | 675 | 505 | 481 | 481 | 362 | 339 | 405 | 344 | 362 | 210 | 366 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | W 5 | W 6 | SSW 20 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 18 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | S 17 | W 5 |
99 | 11 | 15 | 259 | 50 | 58 | 60 | 491 | 114 | 65 | 92 | 94 | 138 | 65 | 53 | 38 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 153 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 24 | SSW 22 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | SSW 20 | SW 7 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | S 19 | — | — | S 9 | S 10 | — | S 10 | S 21 | — | S 19 | S 19 | W 6 | S 18 |
54 | 181 | 180 | 47 | 485 | 2 | 220 | 140 | 118 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 9 | — | 66 | 30 | 6 | 25 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 13 | 82 | 87 | 21 | 82 | 65 | 30 | 88 | 82 | 65 | 87 | 87 | 1 | 88 |
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.











