Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
22.6°C
2.8° 

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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 932 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. 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 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Thu 27th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 12s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 17s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sat 29th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here.

Well, we've got a pretty quiet stretch ahead for Cottons Point. This reef and point break is usually a solid bet when the swell lines up, but for the next week or so, it's looking like a real waiting game. The water temperature is sitting at 72°, which is a solid 4° warmer than usual for this time of year – that's a pretty notable anomaly, so you can leave the steamer at home.

The next few days, from Wednesday afternoon the 26th of August right through to the end of the month, are mostly a write-off. We've got small, weak swell, mostly under 4ft, and the wind is stuck in a cross-on shore direction, leaving the surface choppy and messy. The combined energy is low, peaking at just 686 on the Saturday morning, and the scores are all marginal at best. It's one of those periods where you're better off doing something else.

We do get a little spike of energy on Thursday the 3rd of September. The morning shows a 6ft SSW swell, with a period of 14 seconds, and combined energy of 1520. That's a moderate energy pulse, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it's a bit of a tease. It's not the cleanest, but for those keen, it's the best of a pretty average run. After that, we drop back into smaller, weaker waves for the rest of the first week of September.

The second week doesn't offer much reprieve, with a similar pattern of small, inconsistent swells. The most interesting window appears on Wednesday the 9th of September, with a 5ft SSW swell and a 13-second period, but again, the wind is light and cross-onshore, so expect some texture on the face. The consistent trend here is that the swell direction is mostly from the SSW, which is a reasonable direction for Cottons, but without the right wind, it's hard to get excited.

Honestly, the outlook is pretty flat. We're not seeing any real standouts. The best you can hope for are those marginal, clean-ish windows with a bit of energy, like Thursday the 3rd of September morning, but even then, it's a gamble. If you're absolutely desperate, you can get wet, but the camera's staying in the bag.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

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

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 19°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
1
3
1
1
3
2
1
2
1
1
2
2
1
2
1
2
2
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
S
11
1.1
S
12
1
S
11
0.7
SSW
18
0.8
SSW
17
0.7
SSW
19
1.3
SSW
17
1
SSW
17
1.2
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
15
1
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
1
S
12
1
S
12
1.1
S
11
1.2
S
12
1.1
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
272
333
231
270
351
325
932
594
733
706
537
405
325
261
300
282
311
376
319
Wind (km/h)
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SSW
5
ESE
10
W
10
W
5
SE
10
WSW
10
W
5
SSE
15
SSW
10
SW
5
SSE
10
SW
10
W
5
NNW
10
SSE
5
NNW
10
N
Wind State
cross-on
on
on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
cross
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
8:37PM1.78m
9:38AM1.37m
9:09PM1.77m
10:01AM1.45m
9:43PM1.71m
10:26AM1.52m
10:18PM1.61m
10:52AM1.58m
10:57PM1.45m
11:20AM1.62m
11:42PM1.26m
11:53AM1.63m
00:41AM1.06m
Low Tide
3:31AM-0.06m
3:09PM0.45m
3:55AM-0.04m
3:45PM0.38m
4:19AM0.02m
4:23PM0.33m
4:43AM0.13m
5:04PM0.29m
5:06AM0.26m
5:52PM0.28m
5:29AM0.41m
6:51PM0.30m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
mod rain
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:20
6:22
6:22
6:22
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:22
7:21
7:19
7:17
7:16
7:15
 mm
2
7
Temp °C
26
27
28
26
28
28
26
27
27
23
25
25
22
24
24
23
23
20
22
Feels °C
29
29
30
29
30
29
29
28
27
25
25
25
23
24
23
24
23
22
24
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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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