56th St Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.62° N 117.94° W

56th St Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 14 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 56th St sea temperature is
22.8°C
3.5° 

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 15 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with 405 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s 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 (Sep 17) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 0.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Thu 17th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 16s
Best Surf 8AM (Thu 17th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 16s
Most Powerful 5PM (Mon 21st Sep)3ft (0.9m) 17s

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 on offer for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet stretch ahead. We’ve got small, cleanish waves on a few mornings, but nothing that’s going to get the heart racing. The swell direction is consistently from the southwest, which is the optimum direction for 56th St, but the size is tiny and the period is mostly long, so it’s not producing any real push. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no crazy warm or cold anomalies to talk about.

The outlook starts from now, Tuesday 15th September. The swell is small, 2 ft at 16 seconds from the SW on Tuesday morning, but the wind is cross-on from the south at 9 mph and it’s choppy. Scores are zero. The wave energy sits in the moderate range (172), but honestly, the “poor surf” label says it all. Tuesday afternoon is even smaller and onshore.

Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th show slight improvements in swell height, up to 3 ft on Thursday morning from the SSW at 16 seconds, with a light breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The cross-on wind gives a light ripple, and the wave energy climbs to 425. The commentary calls it “marginal” – a one out of ten. Still, that Thursday morning is the closest to a session you’d consider if you were desperate and the tide was right. It’s a beach break, sheltered, and the very long period (16 seconds) will make it a bit wonky and straight – better for a longboard than a thruster.

From Friday the 18th right through to the end of the month, we’re looking at a long gap of poor to marginal conditions. The swell stays stuck around 2 ft to 3 ft, with cross-on winds most days. Friday morning has the swell pushing 2 ft from the SW but a 19-second period and onshore wind, giving zero score. Sunday the 20th morning has the highest wave energy at 481, with 3 ft from the SW at 18 seconds, but again, cross-on wind from the south at 9 mph makes it choppy.

The second week, from the 23rd of September right through to the 30th, is similar. Small swell, 2 ft to 3 ft, mostly 12–17 second periods, and persistent cross-on winds. Wave energy drops to as low as 183 towards the 27th. The morning of Tuesday 29th September has a tiny bit of hope with a 3 mph cross-on from the SW and a 17-second period, but the swell is only 2 ft. It’s still a zero on the scorecard.

The best on offer – and I’m stretching here – is Thursday morning, 17th September. That’s the only session with a score of 1 out of 10, with 3 ft of SSW swell at 16 seconds, a light cross-on WSW breeze at 6 mph, and moderate wave energy (425). It’s small, it’s wonky with that long period, and the crowd factor is “sometimes” – so you might find a few locals out. Beginners could manage it, as it’s under 5 ft. For the rest of the 16-day window, you’re looking at a whole lot of nothing.

There’s really no standout in that second week – just rinse and repeat of poor conditions. The setup is small and cross-on, so it’s more suited for a kite session than a proper paddle session if the wind picks up.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 19°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
Sunday
20
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
0
1
0
2
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SW
17
0.5
SW
16
0.4
SSW
20
0.4
SW
16
0.8
SSW
18
0.7
SSW
17
0.8
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.6
SW
19
0.6
SW
19
0.5
SW
19
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.8
SW
18
0.8
SW
18
0.8
SW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
147
127
127
87
348
252
291
284
191
305
236
236
183
255
252
252
375
379
358
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
15
S
15
SSW
10
S
15
S
15
SW
5
SSW
10
WSW
15
WSW
5
SSW
10
SSW
15
W
5
SSW
10
SSW
15
WSW
5
SSW
15
S
10
SW
10
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
00:14AM1.13m
11:48AM1.58m
1:20AM0.96m
12:19PM1.49m
4:00AM0.87m
1:03PM1.39m
2:28PM1.31m
8:11AM1.08m
4:26PM1.31m
7:53AM1.14m
5:42PM1.40m
Low Tide
5:30AM0.61m
7:12PM0.28m
5:42AM0.76m
8:26PM0.35m
10:09PM0.37m
11:41PM0.31m
10:43AM1.06m
00:38AM0.22m
12:12PM0.96m
1:16AM0.14m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:37
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:58
6:57
6:54
6:53
6:52
6:51
 mm
Temp °C
20
21
22
20
21
21
19
20
21
20
21
22
21
21
23
21
22
22
21
Feels °C
21
21
21
20
21
20
19
20
20
20
21
21
21
22
22
21
22
22
22
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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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