Cottons Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.39° N 117.60° W

Cottons Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cottons Point sea temperature is
22.8°C
3.0° 

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 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (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★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. 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+)11PM (Tue 25th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 14s
Best Surf 2AM (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

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the next couple of weeks at Cottons Point.

It’s a bit of a mixed bag coming up, not gonna lie. We’ve got a decent amount of swell on the cards, but the quality is often being let down by the winds and conditions. The water is feeling more like a warm bath than usual, with temps sitting at a very unusual 73° at the start; that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year.

The best window looks to be the first few days, starting Tuesday the 25th of August. We're seeing a clean 3 ft south swell pushing in with a solid 13-second period, and the wind is light and offshore out of the WSW. The combined energy is moderate at 484, but the sets will have some shape to them. It’s a reef and point setup, so that long period works well here.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th hold the best bet for the whole period. Wednesday morning bumps up to a 4 ft south swell (period 12 seconds), with a light offshore breeze keeping it clean. The energy is a solid moderate 807. Thursday morning is similar at 4 ft, also 12 seconds, and again with light offshore wind (807 energy). These two mornings are your standouts. Afternoons get a little more mixed, with some clouds but still light winds.

Friday the 28th, the wind swings more cross-onshore and while we get a very long-period 17-second swell on Friday morning (3 ft), the conditions just look poor for a paddle. The energy is weak to moderate (488). Honestly, with that long-period swell and cross-onshore breeze, the setup at Cottons Point might be more interesting for the kite crew than us surfers.

We then go through a long stretch. From Saturday the 29th right through to Monday the 7th of September, it’s mostly marginal. The swell hangs around between 3 ft and 4 ft, but the winds are often cross-onshore, making it choppy. The energy stays in the moderate range, mostly between 408 and 807. There are a few windows on Saturday the 29th afternoon (4 ft, 16 sec, 807 energy) and Wednesday the 2nd of September morning (4 ft, 12 sec, 574 energy) with offshore winds, but they’re just not firing enough to call a standout. Expect a lot of sessions where you’re scratching for a decent one.

Then we get into the far outlook. Tuesday the 8th of September and beyond sees the swell drop further to a weak 2 ft to 2 ft, still with poor cross-onshore winds. But hold onto your board, because Wednesday the 9th of September has a pulse of long-range groundswell. The forecast shows a 6 ft south swell with a very long 16-second period in the afternoon, and the energy is strong at 2076. The problem? The wind is cross-onshore and 15 km/h. The raw power is there, but it’ll be a battle with the chop. It’s a promising but less certain late call for experienced surfers only, as the size is over 5 ft. For the rest of us, it’s more of a maybe.

Honestly, if you want clean waves, get on the Tuesday to Thursday (25th-27th of August) morning sessions. The rest of the run is a grind, but that early window is worth it. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so getting out early is your best bet.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

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

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
3
1
2
2
2
2
3
0
1
4
2
2
2
1
2
3
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
S
13
1.3
S
13
1.3
S
12
1.3
S
12
1.2
S
11
1.2
S
12
1.1
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
0.9
S
13
0.9
S
12
0.6
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
229
599
485
461
323
396
284
270
351
325
932
587
733
706
537
405
321
273
236
118
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
5
SW
10
SSW
10
WSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SSW
5
SSW
10
W
10
W
5
S
10
SW
10
WSW
10
SE
15
S
10
WSW
5
SSE
15
SW
15
WSW
5
NNW
Wind State
on
glassy
on
on
cross
on
on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
8:05PM1.75m
9:16AM1.30m
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
Low Tide
2:01PM0.63m
3:06AM-0.06m
2:35PM0.54m
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
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
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>
6:20
6:20
6:20
6:22
6:22
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:23
7:22
7:22
7:21
7:19
7:17
7:16
 mm
Temp °C
26
25
27
27
26
27
28
26
28
28
26
27
27
24
25
25
22
23
23
21
Feels °C
28
28
28
27
29
28
29
29
28
28
28
28
27
27
25
25
24
23
22
22
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  • 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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