Surf Forecasts:
56th St surf forecast from 20 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 19 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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+) | 2AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet stretch ahead. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for decent surf. There’s a real gap here – for the first ten days, from Wednesday 19th August right through to Friday 28th August, it’s basically all “poor surf conditions” with tiny swell and messy cross-onshore winds. You’d be lucky to get anything rideable.
Even the one spot we have, 56th St, is sheltered and very consistent, but that doesn’t help when the waves are just too small and weak. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – not a game-changer, but nice if you’re in. The swell energy is weak for most of that first week, with values around 100–300 (weak), barely enough to push a longboard.
Things do look a tiny bit more promising right at the very end of the run. On Saturday 29th August morning, the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, with a period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps to 649 (moderate), which is the strongest we’ll see. The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but at least there’s some push. That’s the standout, but it’s still marginal. Sunday 30th August morning also has 4ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and lighter onshore winds, which might be a touch cleaner. Those two days are your best bet, but keep expectations low.
For a break that’s usually very consistent, this stretch of poor surf is a bit of a bummer, but it doesn’t happen often. You just have to wait for the next system to roll in.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat morning, min 21°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 280 | 196 | 183 | 183 | 175 | 101 | 99 | 99 | 63 | 121 | 165 | 127 | 112 | 210 | 154 | 142 | 224 | 216 | 127 | 124 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 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 | 9:16AM1.21m | 8:12PM1.74m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:15PM0.67m | 3:22AM-0.08m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | W 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SW 17 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 16 | W 6 |
| kJ | 280 | 33 | 183 | 183 | 175 | 101 | 99 | 99 | 19 | 121 | 165 | 27 | 98 | 210 | 22 | 142 | 57 | 50 | 127 | 59 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 28 | 196 | 25 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 63 | 17 | 25 | 99 | 16 | 21 | 154 | 50 | 224 | 216 | 87 | 80 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 9 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1 | 12 | 57 | 14 | 8 | 81 | 49 | 51 | 50 | 27 | 58 | 127 | 112 | 155 | 53 | 66 | 89 | 89 | 6 | 124 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | — | — | 22 | — | 84 | 61 | 94 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 125 | 0 | 46 | 101 | 36 | 46 | 87 | 0 | 110 | 120 | 32 | 125 | 125 | 7 | 125 | 125 | 7 | 125 | 125 | 7 |
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.
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