56th St Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.62° N 117.94° W

56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 56th St sea temperature is
21.8° C
2.9° 

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 24 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 21s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 921 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 21s 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 (Jul 25) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 21s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m 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 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 21s
Best Surf 8AM (Sat 25th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 21s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 28th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days are a tough sit for 56th St. There’s surf on the horizon, but it’s rarely going to be clean. The first decent chance doesn’t show up until the morning of Thursday, the 23rd of July. The water is sitting at 71° – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, a full 5° above normal, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The whole period is plagued by cross-onshore or onshore winds and weak, short-period swell. The combined energy of all swells directed here is mostly moderate, with values between 100 and 999 (for example, 475 on Thursday morning), but it’s nothing to get excited about. The swell direction is mostly from the S or SW, which is fine for this sheltered spot, but the quality is just not there.

The best of a bad bunch looks like the morning of Thursday, the 23rd of July. We’ve got a 3ft S swell with a period of 12 seconds – that’s a bit of groundswell, but it’s small. The wind is light cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, which will put some bump on the surface. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the only session that scores anything at all. It’s not a standout, just the least bad option.

After that, it’s a long, grim run. Friday the 24th through to the end of the month is mostly poor surf conditions with onshore winds. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, with periods all over the shop. The energy is moderate, but the wind is always messing it up. There’s a tiny glimmer on the morning of Friday, the 31st of July, when a 4ft SSE swell with a 16-second period rolls in and the combined energy jumps to 1004 (strong wave energy). The wind is light onshore, but the swell is coming from the SSE, which is off the optimum direction for this break. The period is long, which means it might be a bit too straight for a beach break, but it’s the only time the energy gets strong. Still, it’s marginal.

The first week of August is a write-off. Swell drops to 3ft or less, periods are short, and winds are cross-on or onshore. By the 4th of August, the swell is barely 1ft with a combined energy of only 148 (weak). The last few days of the forecast are just flat, weak, and choppy.

Realistically, this is a classic case of a spot that’s not firing. The winds are mostly wrong, the swell is small, and the consistency is low. If you’re a kiter, the cross-on winds on some of the bigger days might be interesting, but for a surfer, it’s a tough stretch. Don’t hold your breath, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 21°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thu
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
13
0.6
SW
24
0.5
SW
24
0.7
SW
21
0.9
SW
21
0.7
SW
21
1.1
SW
19
0.9
SSW
19
0.9
SSW
18
1
SW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1
SSW
19
1
SSW
17
1.1
SSW
17
1.2
SSW
17
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
161
286
444
271
467
664
450
863
657
565
614
845
719
601
742
744
651
475
575
469
Wind (km/h)
15
WSW
10
SSE
15
S
15
S
5
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
5
S
15
S
15
S
15
SSE
10
SSW
10
SSW
10
S
10
SSW
15
SW
10
SSE
10
S
15
SSW
10
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
5:43PM1.52m
8:44AM0.97m
6:32PM1.57m
9:14AM1.02m
7:16PM1.63m
9:37AM1.06m
7:54PM1.70m
9:58AM1.10m
8:29PM1.76m
10:20AM1.13m
9:02PM1.80m
10:42AM1.17m
9:34PM1.80m
Low Tide
1:45AM0.11m
12:07PM0.88m
2:25AM0.01m
1:04PM0.86m
2:58AM-0.06m
1:48PM0.81m
3:29AM-0.11m
2:24PM0.76m
3:57AM-0.15m
2:58PM0.70m
4:24AM-0.16m
3:32PM0.66m
4:51AM-0.16m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:58
5:58
5:58
6:00
6:00
6:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:58
7:58
7:57
7:55
7:55
7:54
7:53
 mm
Temp °C
23
22
23
23
22
24
25
23
24
24
22
23
24
23
24
25
23
24
24
23
Feels °C
23
23
23
23
23
25
26
24
25
25
22
24
24
24
25
25
24
24
24
24
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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 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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