Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 08 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
19.8° C
1.1° 

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 9 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SSW swell with 684 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 (Jul 08) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Wed 8th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s
Best Surf11PM (Wed 8th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 5AM (Thu 9th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s

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


G'day, Rusty here. Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it – the next week or so is a bit of a struggle for Cottons Point. We've got a long stretch of pretty average conditions before we see any real potential.

The opening window, from Wednesday 8th July through to at least the middle of the following week, is largely a write-off. The swell is consistently small, between 1ft and 4ft, and it's coming from the SSW. The real killer is the wind. For day after day, it's a cross-onshore breeze, which is putting a chop on the surface and making things messy. The wave energy is moderate at best, but it's just not translating into anything rideable. The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

A couple of mornings on the 12th and 13th (Sunday and Monday) see an offshore wind, but the swell is tiny at 3ft, and the period is short, so it's not doing much. The standouts are really nowhere to be seen for the first ten days.

Then we get a little glimmer. On Saturday 18th July, the morning session looks like the best we've seen in a while. The wind goes glassy, with a light 3 mph breeze from the west, and the swell pushes up to 3ft from the SW at a very long 18 seconds. That's a groundswell, and it'll have some real energy. This is the kind of clean, lined-up wave that makes Cottons shine. The afternoon holds offshore conditions too, with a similar 3ft SW swell.

Now, the real standout of the entire 16-day forecast is the following Sunday, 19th July. The morning sees a solid 5ft swell from the S, with a period of 16 seconds. The wave energy jumps up, and while the wind is a light cross-onshore, this is the biggest, most powerful swell we've seen. This is good for experienced surfers, as it's over 5ft, making it a bit much for beginners. The afternoon holds a similar 5ft S swell, still with good energy. After that, it backs off a bit, but we get a few more days of 3ft to 4ft SSW swell with light winds, which will offer some clean, though smaller, options.

So, to sum it up: the first ten days are a bit of a drought. Don't bother. Saturday 18th July morning is the pick for clean, glassy conditions on a smaller swell. But the big one to circle is Sunday 19th July – that's the day the ocean really wakes up with a solid S swell. It's a bit of a wait, but it's worth it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 19°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wed
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
1
1
2
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
0
0
2
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
17
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
13
0.7
S
13
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
12
0.5
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.8
W
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
651
675
545
481
481
439
411
405
344
358
210
316
289
220
312
176
217
121
154
194
107
Wind (km/h)
10
W
10
SSE
15
SSW
10
SSW
10
SSE
15
S
10
S
5
SSE
15
S
15
S
5
S
10
SSW
5
WSW
5
SW
10
WSW
10
WSW
5
SSW
15
WSW
15
WNW
5
SSW
10
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
High Tide
4:19PM1.54m
5:43AM0.87m
5:13PM1.68m
7:10AM0.93m
6:07PM1.82m
8:12AM1.02m
7:01PM1.95m
9:01AM1.10m
7:53PM2.06m
9:44AM1.17m
8:43PM2.11m
10:25AM1.23m
9:32PM2.10m
11:06AM1.29m
Low Tide
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
3:23AM-0.44m
2:28PM0.60m
4:07AM-0.47m
3:20PM0.54m
4:49AM-0.44m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:48
5:48
5:48
5:48
5:50
5:50
5:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:02
8:01
8:01
8:01
8:01
8:00
8:00
8:00
 mm
Temp °C
21
19
22
22
20
22
22
20
22
22
21
22
22
20
23
23
21
24
25
24
25
Feels °C
21
20
22
22
21
21
21
22
22
21
22
22
23
21
24
23
22
24
25
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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