56th St Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.62° N 117.94° W

56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 56th St sea temperature is
21.6° C
2.2° 

56th St surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


56th St surf forecast from 19 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, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period with SSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for 56th St this week:

The surf forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s 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 56th St in the next 16 days are 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Wed 19th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 15s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 24th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 18s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 19th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, well, this is a tough one. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for 56th Street until my eyes went blurry, but I gotta be straight with you – it’s looking pretty flat and sad for the next couple of weeks. There’s no real surf to get excited about, just tiny dribbles and a lot of “poor surf conditions” notes.

From Tuesday, August 18, right through to Wednesday, September 2, the swell at 56th Street barely gets its head above water. We’re looking at a constant stream of small, weak swell, mostly from the SSW, stumbling in at only 1 ft to 3 ft. The combined wave energy is weak most days, hanging around 125 to 311, which is just a gentle bump, not a proper push. The period is all over the shop, sometimes a nice long 16 seconds or even 19 seconds, which would be great for shape, but there’s no height behind it to make it work. It’s like having a great engine with no fuel.

The water is unseasonably warm right now, coming in at 71°F, so that’s a small comfort if you just want a paddle, but the waves are just not there. Winds are mostly light and cross-onshore, which would be fine if there was a wave to surf, but at this size it just messes up the surface.

There’s a tiny flicker on the horizon. The mornings of Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30 show a slight bump to 3 ft and 3 ft from the SSW with a 15 to 16 second period. The combined wave energy actually pushes into the moderate range at 473 and 461, which is the best we’ll see. The wind on Saturday morning is very light and offshore from the SW, which could mean a glassy surface for a short while. It’s still small, and the rating is “marginal,” so don’t get your hopes up for anything with power, but if you’re desperate for a tiny, clean wave on a longboard at 56th Street, that Saturday morning (August 29) is the only time in this whole outlook I’d even bother checking. After that, it’s back to tiny and choppy right through to the start of September.

Honestly, for paddle surfing, this is a write-off. A long blank run like this is pretty normal for this area when the swell windows close up. If you’re a kiter, the moderate cross-shore winds on the afternoon of Monday, August 24 might look more interesting than the waves do. Otherwise, keep the board in the car and wait for the next proper swell.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 20°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, 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
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SSW
16
0.6
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.4
SW
18
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.4
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
15
0.6
SSW
14
0.4
SW
19
0.4
SW
18
0.7
SSW
14
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
203
181
242
270
280
196
183
183
175
101
99
98
63
121
165
127
112
210
154
142
175
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
15
W
10
S
5
SSW
10
WSW
5
SSE
10
S
10
SSW
5
S
10
SSW
10
SW
5
SSE
10
SW
15
WSW
5
S
10
WSW
10
WSW
5
SW
10
W
20
W
5
SSW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross
on
High Tide
1:38PM1.46m
3:19AM0.85m
2:30PM1.41m
3:46PM1.38m
8:37AM0.99m
5:09PM1.41m
8:34AM1.06m
6:13PM1.49m
8:46AM1.11m
7:00PM1.58m
9:00AM1.16m
7:38PM1.67m
Low Tide
9:18PM0.42m
7:10AM0.76m
11:03PM0.38m
00:27AM0.28m
10:23AM0.99m
1:20AM0.17m
12:15PM0.95m
1:59AM0.08m
1:06PM0.87m
2:29AM0.00m
1:42PM0.77m
2:57AM-0.05m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:35
7:32
7:31
7:30
7:30
7:29
7:27
 mm
2
Temp °C
22
24
23
25
25
23
24
24
23
24
25
23
25
25
24
26
26
24
25
26
24
Feels °C
23
24
24
27
25
24
25
24
24
24
25
24
25
25
25
26
25
25
25
25
26
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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 56th St Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for 56th St provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at 56th St can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our 56th St 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 (56th St) 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 56th St 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.

56th St is 2 km (1 miles) from the city of Newport Beach. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Newport Beach. Newport Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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