Surf Forecasts:
Dana Point surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 382 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dana Point this week:
The surf forecast for Dana Point over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dana Point in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dana Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for Dana Point.
Right now, the water is sitting at 72°, which is a wild 5° warmer than we’d expect for this time of year. That’s a real curveball – the ocean has a fever. It’s not a bad thing for a paddle, but it’s definitely unusual.
The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and uninspiring for Dana Point. We’ve got some small, long-period groundswell rolling in, but it’s struggling to make any real impact. The combined swell energy is moderate at best, hovering around the 300 to 400 mark. For the most part, the wind is a problem – mostly cross-onshore or onshore, which is a recipe for choppy, messy conditions. You’ll see a few mornings with a light breeze that might be worth a look, but the surf quality is rated as marginal or poor throughout.
The best of a bad bunch looks like Tuesday morning, August 18th. We’ve got a 2ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the SW, which should keep it clean. The energy is moderate at 398. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but that long period will make it a bit tricky and won’t be as punchy on the beach. It’s a real gamble on the tide.
After that, it’s a lot of the same. We’ll see a few mornings with a light offshore breeze right through to the end of the month, but the swell is tiny – often around 1ft to 2ft. The period remains long, but there’s just not enough size to get excited about. The wind tends to swing around and get messy in the afternoons. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is a write-off for any decent paddling.
As we get into the first week of September, the swell picks up a notch to around 3ft on the 30th, but it’s still not a clean setup. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, so the waves will be lumpy. The energy is moderate at 474. For such a small wave, the wind profile is a kite-surfing setup more than a good paddle-surfing session.
Honestly, there’s no standout session in the whole 16-day window. The consistent low energy and poor wind mean you’re better off waiting for a proper change. It’s a quiet spell for Dana Point, but it won’t last forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 232 | 243 | 246 | 377 | 314 | 246 | 239 | 236 | 173 | 139 | 137 | 98 | 106 | 165 | 218 | 127 | 155 | 213 | 197 | 179 | 224 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:44PM1.88m | 3:28AM1.21m | 2:36PM1.83m | 3:49PM1.80m | 8:27AM1.36m | 5:08PM1.83m | 8:30AM1.43m | 6:10PM1.91m | 8:44AM1.49m | 6:57PM2.01m | 9:00AM1.55m | 7:36PM2.10m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 9:19PM0.80m | 7:04AM1.13m | 11:01PM0.75m | 00:21AM0.65m | 10:10AM1.35m | 1:12AM0.53m | 11:58AM1.32m | 1:49AM0.43m | 12:52PM1.24m | 2:20AM0.34m | 1:32PM1.15m | 2:48AM0.27m | |||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | W 7 |
| kJ | 52 | 54 | 246 | 377 | 314 | 246 | 239 | 236 | 173 | 139 | 137 | 98 | 106 | 165 | 218 | 99 | 98 | 213 | 197 | 179 | 111 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 11 | W 7 | W 10 | WNW 10 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 13 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 232 | 243 | 50 | 59 | 40 | 21 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 40 | 24 | 49 | 32 | 127 | 155 | 199 | 61 | 82 | 224 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 9 | SW 20 | S 8 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 10 | S 15 | S 15 | S 13 |
| kJ | 114 | 98 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 31 | 57 | 57 | 8 | 81 | 47 | 47 | 19 | 27 | 58 | 86 | 84 | 20 | 110 | 68 | 128 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 20 | 36 | 46 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 74 | 99 | 0 | 63 | 99 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 0 | 72 | 99 | 0 | 74 | 99 | 0 | 99 | 57 | 99 | 99 | 3 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Dana Point Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Dana Point provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Dana Point can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Dana 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 (Dana 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 Dana 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.
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