Surf Forecasts:
56th St surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, S swell with 931 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. 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 1.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for 56th St.
Look, I’m not gonna sugar-coat it: we’re looking at a pretty grim run for a while. The first week and a half is mostly a write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is all wrong, and the conditions are just ugly. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so at least a wetsuit won’t feel off.
The whole opening stretch from August 22nd through the end of the month is a no-go. Swells are barely above flat, often under 2ft, with a period that can be decent on some days, but it just doesn’t matter. The wind is nearly always cross-on or onshore, kicking up chop and ruining any chance of a clean face. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, barely cracking triple digits in a good way, mostly sitting between 130 and 500, which tells you the ocean’s just not putting out. There’s one brief moment on the morning of August 25th—the glassy conditions are a tease—but with a 2ft swell from the SW, it’s still ordinary at best.
We finally see a pulse that might give us something on September 5th. Saturday morning brings a 4ft SSE swell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1397—moderate to strong energy. The wind is light and offshore from the S, which at 56th St is actually good, blowing straight offshore. This is the standout window. The swell direction is a little south of the optimum SW, but with that clean offshore wind, the waves should be well-shaped and clean. It’s not huge, but it’s the best we’ve seen all forecast. That afternoon pushes up to 5ft from the S, still offshore, but it’s getting a bit bigger. Still manageable for intermediates. The next day, September 6th, holds similar size at 5ft from the SSE, still with offshore light wind, but that’s right on the edge for beginners.
Overall, if you’re itching, the morning of September 5th is your real shot. The waves won’t be huge, but it’ll be clean and fun. Before that, don’t bother. The gap between now and that date is a long, frustrating one—nearly two weeks of poor surf. This break is very consistent by nature, so it’s a bit of a bummer to see this, but that’s the hand we’re dealt.
Rusty signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
99 | 63 | 121 | 165 | 127 | 112 | 213 | 163 | 142 | 224 | 216 | 127 | 153 | 233 | 530 | 572 | 432 | 276 | 186 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:34AM1.06m | 6:13PM1.49m | 8:46AM1.11m | 7:00PM1.58m | 9:00AM1.16m | 7:38PM1.67m | 9:16AM1.21m | 8:12PM1.74m | 9:34AM1.27m | 8:45PM1.77m | 9:53AM1.34m | 9:17PM1.76m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:20AM0.17m | 12:15PM0.95m | 1:59AM0.08m | 1:06PM0.87m | 2:29AM0.00m | 1:42PM0.77m | 2:57AM-0.05m | 2:15PM0.67m | 3:22AM-0.08m | 2:47PM0.58m | 3:45AM-0.08m | 3:21PM0.49m | 4:09AM-0.05m | ||||||
— | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 6 | W 7 | S 12 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 |
99 | 18 | 121 | 165 | 17 | 98 | 213 | 163 | 142 | 224 | 216 | 18 | 76 | 216 | 530 | 572 | 432 | 276 | 146 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 5 | W 6 | SSW 12 | W 6 | S 13 | SW 16 | S 13 | W 7 | S 12 | W 8 | W 7 | SSW 14 | SW 14 |
8 | 63 | 10 | 8 | 99 | 112 | 12 | 16 | 50 | 21 | 87 | 127 | 153 | 61 | 214 | 110 | 43 | 257 | 186 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 13 | W 6 | S 13 | SW 16 | S 15 | W 6 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 7 |
51 | 50 | 27 | 58 | 127 | 50 | 155 | 154 | 66 | 126 | 16 | 87 | 124 | 233 | 41 | 259 | 74 | 27 | 53 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | W 5 | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 15 | 27 | — | 15 | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 38 | 87 | 0 | 120 | 125 | 8 | 120 | 105 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 57 | 18 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











