Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
22.4° C
3.1° 

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 24 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,120 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s 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 25) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 21s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. 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 1.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 28th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but it’s not a total write-off. The first real workable surf shows up on Friday the 25th of July at Cottons Point. This spot is a reef and point setup, so it handles swell well. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there. The swell is small, around 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind is light and blowing straight onshore. That’s a bit of a downer for face quality, but it’s not strong enough to completely ruin it. The combined swell energy is moderate, sitting at 910. It’s a marginal call, but for a Friday session, you could stretch your legs.

Saturday the 26th is very similar. Swell bumps up slightly to 4 ft from the SW, with a long period of 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, which means better shaped waves and longer lulls between sets. The wind stays light and cross-onshore in the morning, but turns onshore in the arvo. Energy is still moderate at 978. It’s not clean, but there’s enough there to have a paddle.

Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th offer the best of the bunch in this first week. On Monday the 28th morning, we’ve got 4 ft of SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds and light onshore wind. The combined energy pushes into the strong range at 1176. The waves will have some punch, and with that long period, the point should line them up nicely. It’s not glassy, but the light onshore keeps it from turning into a washing machine. This is your standout for the first half of the outlook. Tuesday the 29th holds similar size and energy, around 4 ft and 1088 energy, still with light onshore wind.

Then we hit a bit of a flat spell. Wednesday the 30th of July is messy with cross-onshore wind, and the swell drops back. Thursday the 31st is marginal but slightly better with light onshore wind and 4 ft from the S. But the real kicker comes on Friday the 1st of August. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the S, period drops to 14 seconds – shorter period, so more of a windswell blend. Combined energy is strong at 1421. The wind is light cross-onshore in the morning, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. At 6 ft, this is getting too big for beginners, but for intermediates, it’ll be a fun, punchy day if you can handle a bit of chop.

Saturday the 2nd of August holds similar size at 6 ft from the SSW, with light onshore wind and strong energy at 1200. The period is only 13 seconds though, so it’s a bit weaker in shape. After that, things drop off fast. Sunday the 3rd of August sees 4 ft with light onshore, but energy is down to 508. From Monday the 4th of August through to the end of the outlook on Saturday the 9th, it’s all poor surf conditions – tiny swell under 2 ft and flat energy. There’s nothing worth chasing in that second week. A solid few days of small dribble.

So if you’re keen, aim for Monday the 28th of July for the cleanest longer-period groundswell at Cottons Point. Friday the 1st of August is the biggest, but a bit messier. After that, give it a miss until the next forecast.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

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

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

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

Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
1
2
2
2
4
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
0
1
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
S
13
0.7
SW
24
0.6
SSW
24
0.9
SW
21
0.9
SSW
21
0.9
SW
21
1.2
SW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.1
SW
18
1.1
SW
18
1.3
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
350
563
368
664
799
640
1100
863
743
719
1056
893
771
1009
1020
818
612
724
604
Wind (km/h)
5
S
15
SSW
10
SSW
5
S
10
SW
10
SW
5
S
10
SSW
10
SW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
5
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
5
SSE
15
S
10
SSW
5
SE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
8:16AM0.96m
6:26PM1.57m
8:48AM1.02m
7:09PM1.64m
9:12AM1.07m
7:47PM1.70m
9:35AM1.11m
8:23PM1.76m
9:59AM1.15m
8:55PM1.80m
10:24AM1.19m
9:27PM1.80m
Low Tide
1:32AM0.15m
11:48AM0.85m
2:10AM0.05m
12:47PM0.83m
2:43AM-0.03m
1:32PM0.78m
3:13AM-0.08m
2:10PM0.72m
3:42AM-0.12m
2:46PM0.66m
4:09AM-0.14m
3:21PM0.61m
4:36AM-0.13m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:56
5:58
5:58
5:58
6:00
6:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:55
7:54
7:53
7:53
7:52
7:52
 mm
Temp °C
22
24
24
22
25
25
23
25
25
22
25
25
22
25
25
23
25
24
22
Feels °C
24
25
24
24
26
26
25
27
26
24
26
26
24
25
25
25
25
24
23
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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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