Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 19 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
22.0° C
2.2° 

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 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 387 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m 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 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Wed 19th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 24th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 14s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 19th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at the 16-day outlook for Cottons Point. This is a reef and point setup, and it's a consistent spot that's exposed to the SW swell window. The water temps are sitting around 72°, which is 4° above the long-term average for this time of year. That’s much warmer than normal, so if you’re heading out, you might not need that thick wetsuit.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell you, the first week and a half is pretty grim. From Wednesday morning the 19th right through to the end of next week, there’s nothing really worth paddling out for. The swell is small, the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the energy is weak. The combined swell energy barely gets into the low hundreds (451 on Wednesday morning, then dropping quickly). The surf is tiny, around 2 ft to 3 ft, with a mix of SSW and SW swells, but the periods are a bit long for the size, often 14 to 19 seconds. That groundswell is there, but it’s just not got enough height to do anything at a point break. It’s a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions. We’re looking at about a 10-day gap here with nothing of note.

Now, if you’re patient, there’s a flicker of hope. Moving into the second week, on Saturday the 29th of August, things start to look a little more interesting. The morning shows a bit more juice: the swell picks up to 4 ft from the SSW, with a 17-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 882 (moderate). The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’s not glassy, but it’s manageable. The swell direction is right in the optimum SW window for the break. This is the best session on offer, and it’s really the only standout in the whole 16-day run. The afternoon on the 29th is similar, with 4 ft swell and 879 energy, but a gentle breeze makes it a bit choppier.

The Sunday the 30th morning still shows some 4 ft SSW swell with 660 energy, but the wind remains cross-onshore. It’s not perfect, but it’s surfable. After that, the swell slowly fades back down into the 3 ft to 1 ft range, and the energy drops off, with the wind staying cross-onshore for the rest of the run. There’s a brief bit of rain showers on Thursday the 3rd of September, but the swell is too small.

So, to sum it up: if you’re itching for a wave, your best bet is Saturday the 29th of August. The morning will be the cleanest of the bunch, with that 4 ft groundswell and decent energy. The rest of the window is a write-off. Don’t expect much, but if you’re keen, that Saturday morning is your moment.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon morning, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
1
1
0
2
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.4
SW
18
0.6
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
14
0.5
SW
19
0.5
SW
18
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.7
SW
17
0.7
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
377
387
249
236
236
175
156
137
135
92
167
218
177
154
269
252
179
273
264
208
203
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
10
W
5
SSW
10
SSW
10
SSW
5
S
10
SSW
10
WSW
5
S
10
SW
10
W
5
SSW
10
SW
10
W
5
W
10
WSW
15
W
5
W
10
SW
15
WNW
10
WNW
Wind State
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
2:22PM1.40m
3:41PM1.37m
8:16AM0.98m
5:05PM1.40m
8:13AM1.05m
6:07PM1.49m
8:24AM1.11m
6:54PM1.59m
8:38AM1.17m
7:31PM1.68m
8:56AM1.23m
8:05PM1.75m
Low Tide
10:43PM0.43m
00:16AM0.32m
9:51AM0.97m
1:08AM0.21m
11:54AM0.93m
1:45AM0.11m
12:49PM0.84m
2:15AM0.03m
1:27PM0.73m
2:41AM-0.02m
2:01PM0.63m
3:06AM-0.06m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:31
7:30
7:29
7:28
7:27
7:25
7:23
 mm
Temp °C
24
25
22
24
24
23
25
25
24
26
26
24
26
26
24
27
27
23
26
26
24
Feels °C
25
25
24
25
24
24
26
26
26
27
26
26
27
26
25
28
27
25
27
25
25
  • Map Icons:
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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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