
Surf Forecasts:
56th St surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 16s period, SSW swell with 679 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 5s. 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 1.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty.
Looking at the 16-day stretch ahead, 56th St is a bit of a tough watch. The first few weeks are a write-off for anything proper. We’ve got a long gap where the surf is just poor. It’s not until the morning of Sunday, July 27th, that we start seeing anything with a bit of life, and even then, it is real marginal stuff.
Let’s break it down. From Friday, July 17th through to Saturday, July 26th, it’s mostly a flat, choppy mess. Small, weak swells with lousy cross-onshore winds. Not worth paddling out for.
The energy starts ticking up later on. By Sunday morning, July 27th, we get light cross-onshore winds with swell from the SSW at around the 4ft mark. The period is a solid 18 seconds, so that’s a long-period groundswell which will hold up nicely. The combined energy is moderate (1037). Still, the wind is cross-on, so it won’t be perfect.
The real standout, the one that catches my eye, is the morning of Thursday, July 31st. That’s the week after next. The swell jumps to 6ft from the S, with a period of 14 seconds, and combined energy hits a strong 1345. Winds are light cross-onshore, so it should be fairly clean if the tide plays ball. That’s going to be the only true “take a day off work” session in the whole window. But remember, that’s still more than a week out, so keep an eye on it.
Before that, the best of the rest is the morning of Tuesday, July 28th with a clean 5ft SW swell onshore winds, but that’s really just a tide and bank check.
Water temp is sitting at a toasty 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
Overall, it’s a slow burn. A whole lot of waiting for that last week of July and start of August.
Stay patient,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 11 | S 13 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
77 | 246 | 255 | 114 | 273 | 350 | 411 | 383 | 255 | 298 | 679 | 358 | 439 | 334 | 325 | 257 | 243 | 345 | 299 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 6:59AM-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 | |||||||
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | |
8:00 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 11 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | W 6 |
77 | 246 | 255 | 114 | 273 | 287 | 411 | 383 | 251 | 298 | 679 | 358 | 439 | 334 | 325 | 257 | 243 | 345 | 62 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 16 | S 10 | W 5 | S 9 | W 5 | W 6 | SW 8 | W 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
10 | 43 | 70 | 65 | 235 | 350 | 2 | 4 | 255 | 96 | 4 | 60 | 18 | 21 | 14 | 31 | 161 | 120 | 299 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | WSW 6 | W 6 | SW 13 | W 5 | W 5 | W 15 | SSE 14 | SSW 20 | SSW 13 | SSE 14 | SW 12 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSE 13 | S 15 | SW 6 | SW 26 | S 12 |
25 | 10 | 5 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 20 | 75 | 113 | 20 | 47 | 61 | 37 | 33 | 109 | 11 | 105 | 141 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 4 | — | WNW 6 | W 5 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 6 | — | 33 | 18 | 42 | 22 | 44 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 46 | 46 | 120 | 46 | 46 | 110 | 0 | 125 | 110 | 0 | 46 | 110 | 23 | 110 | 125 | 30 | 110 | 125 | 46 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










