56th St Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.62° N 117.94° W

56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 17 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 56th St sea temperature is
20.5° C
1.7° 

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 17 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 14s period, SSW swell with 724 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period with S 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sun 19th Jul)2ft (0.6m) 11s
Best Surf 2AM (Mon 20th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 15s
Most Powerful 5AM (Mon 20th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for 56th St over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, it’s a tough stretch. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 69°, which is a bit unusual for this time of year, but that’s about the only bright spot. The wind is coming in from the south, cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny – just 1ft from the southwest. That’s a very long period swell of 19 seconds, so there’s serious energy behind it, but the wave energy is weak (210). The combination of small size and onshore chop means the surf is poor. We’ve got a long gap ahead.

Friday the 17th through Saturday the 19th sees the swell slowly building, but it’s still small – 2ft to 3ft – and the wind stays cross-on or onshore, keeping things messy. The wave energy picks up into the moderate range (328 to 555), but the surf quality is still poor. Not worth paddling out for.

The gap of poor surf stretches through to Sunday the 21st. On Monday the 20th we get a tiny glimmer with 4ft of swell from the south, but it’s a short period of 13 seconds and the wind is still cross-onshore. The combined energy is moderate (780), but conditions are marginal at best. This pattern continues through Tuesday the 21st, where the swell is 4ft, but it’s still cross-onshore and the wind is light. Not the kind of clean surf you want.

The real standout, and the only one worth getting excited about, is Saturday the 25th. On the morning of the 25th, the swell comes from the south-southwest at 3ft, but the period jumps to a very long 21 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1122). The wind is light and onshore, but the setup is better than anything else in the window. The afternoon sees the swell size jump to 4ft from the same direction, but the period drops to 14 seconds and the wind turns cross-onshore, making it a bit more choppy. Still, the morning session on the 25th is the best on offer, but it’s a long way out – over a week – so keep an eye on the forecasts.

After that, from Sunday the 26th onwards, the swell stays around 3ft to 3ft, mostly from the south-southwest, with periods between 14 and 18 seconds. The wave energy is moderate to strong (809 to 1182), but the wind is never truly favorable. It’s either onshore or cross-onshore, so the surf remains marginal at best. The morning of the 27th looks poor, but the afternoon of the 27th has a glimmer with 4ft and a 19-second period, though the wind is onshore again.

The last few days of July and into August, the swell drops off to 2ft to 3ft, and the energy fades to weak (244 to 288). Wind stays cross-onshore, and surf quality is poor. It’s a quiet end to the outlook.

So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off for decent waves. The one day to keep hope for is Saturday the 25th, especially the morning, but it’s a long-range call. Surf isn’t looking great for a while, but it’s a sheltered spot and forecasts can change. Stay tuned.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
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
1
0
2
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
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)
0.4
SW
19
0.4
SW
14
0.4
SW
15
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
S
11
0.9
S
13
0.8
SW
17
0.8
SSW
15
1.3
SSW
12
0.9
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
1
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.9
S
13
0.9
S
13
0.8
S
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
130
74
77
246
255
91
277
350
283
528
377
461
295
358
439
334
325
229
289
280
199
Wind (km/h)
15
S
15
S
10
SSE
15
S
10
SW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
WSW
5
S
10
SW
15
WSW
5
WSW
10
WSW
20
W
10
W
20
W
25
W
10
SSW
10
SW
15
WSW
5
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
12:45PM1.37m
00:01AM1.62m
1:28PM1.40m
00:54AM1.36m
2:13PM1.43m
1:58AM1.10m
3:00PM1.44m
3:31AM0.90m
3:52PM1.46m
5:49AM0.83m
4:48PM1.48m
7:48AM0.89m
5:43PM1.52m
Low Tide
6:15PM0.53m
6:59AM-0.05m
7:20PM0.54m
7:35AM0.16m
8:37PM0.53m
8:11AM0.38m
10:08PM0.48m
8:49AM0.57m
11:41PM0.37m
9:37AM0.73m
00:53AM0.23m
10:50AM0.84m
1:45AM0.11m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
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>
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
5:56
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:00
8:00
8:00
8:00
7:59
7:59
7:58
 mm
Temp °C
22
22
21
22
22
21
23
23
21
24
24
23
25
26
24
23
23
22
23
24
22
Feels °C
22
22
22
22
22
22
24
23
22
24
22
22
23
23
25
23
21
22
24
24
23
  • Map Icons:
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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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