Surf Forecasts:
56th St surf forecast from 21 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, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period, S swell with 690 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 1.4m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5AM. 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 (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a quiet spell ahead for 56th St, so don’t go clearing your calendar just yet. The water’s sitting at a touch warmer than normal for the time of year at 70°, nothing wild but a little extra comfort if you’re paddling out.
Friday, August 21st through Monday, August 24th – Honestly, there’s nothing doing. We’ve got tiny 1ft to 2ft SSW swells with a light cross-onshore breeze, and the combined energy is weak to moderate (193 to 290). The wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions. You’d be fighting wind ripples and choppy water for nothing. Save the energy.
Tuesday, August 25th – We start to see a bit of life. Morning brings a 3ft S swell with a period of 16 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, but it’s still small. Combined energy jumps to 589 (moderate). Wind is light cross-onshore, but the wave comment calls it marginal. Afternoon sees a bump to 3ft from the S, period dropping to 14 seconds, but the cross-onshore wind picks up to 15 km/h and it’s choppy. Not the day to get excited, but there’s a pulse coming.
Wednesday, August 26th – This is the most interesting day of the whole outlook. Morning swell is 4ft from the S, period 13 seconds, combined energy at 790 (moderate-strong). The wind swings light out of the S, and by afternoon it goes glassy onshore – the wind state flips to “on” which is about as good as it gets here. Combined energy holds at 733. The wave comment is still “poor” for the afternoon, but with that wind and a solid 5ft S swell, it could clean up nicely for the more experienced crew. The swell direction is a good match for the optimum SW direction, so the break should handle it well. This is the standout, but don’t expect perfection. Crowds are possible – it’s a consistent spot and word travels.
Thursday, August 27th through Tuesday, September 1st – Back to small, messy surf. Swells hover around 2ft to 4ft but the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the wave comments are all “poor” or “marginal.” Combined energy drops from 646 down to 243. Not worth the paddle.
Wednesday, September 2nd through Saturday, September 5th – A bit more pulse but still not clean. Swells stay around 2ft to 3ft from the SSW to S, with periods hitting 15-18 seconds at times – nice groundswell potential, but the wind is consistently cross or cross-onshore, and the wave comments remain “poor.” The combined energy spikes to 743 on the 5th afternoon, but with a moderate cross-shore wind at 20 km/h, it’s just a choppy mess. If you’re a kite surfer, the setup might look interesting with that wind and swell combination, but for a paddle surfer? Not your day.
Bottom line: If you’ve got to pick a time, Wednesday, August 26th morning into early afternoon is your best bet. It’s not world-class, but with light wind and a solid S swell, it could offer the cleanest waves in a long dry spell. Everything else is either too small, too choppy, or just plain poor.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
101 | 99 | 99 | 63 | 121 | 165 | 127 | 112 | 213 | 154 | 142 | 224 | 317 | 384 | 404 | 586 | 673 | 416 | 511 | 361 | 194 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 9:34AM1.27m | 8:45PM1.77m | 9:53AM1.34m | 9:17PM1.76m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:47PM0.58m | 3:45AM-0.08m | 3:21PM0.49m | 4:09AM-0.05m | |||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 |
Feels °C | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 7 | S 14 | W 8 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
101 | 99 | 99 | 18 | 121 | 165 | 25 | 98 | 213 | 25 | 142 | 61 | 56 | 384 | 133 | 586 | 673 | 416 | 511 | 361 | 194 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | S 16 | W 7 | S 13 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 |
11 | 11 | 9 | 63 | 10 | 14 | 99 | 112 | 14 | 154 | 50 | 224 | 317 | 56 | 404 | 80 | 44 | 104 | 63 | 33 | 65 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 16 | SW 16 | W 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 |
81 | 49 | 51 | 50 | 27 | 58 | 127 | 50 | 155 | 53 | 66 | 89 | 216 | 129 | 251 | 124 | 16 | 246 | 72 | 82 | 189 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | 15 | — | — | 32 | — | — | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 57 | 87 | 0 | 125 | 87 | 0 | 46 | 30 | 0 | 110 | 30 | 16 | 110 | 30 | 25 | 46 | 110 | 0 | 46 | 105 | 44 |
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.











