Surf Forecasts:
56th St surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 310 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 56th St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me have a look at the charts. To be honest, things are looking pretty flat and quiet around here for a while. We’ve got a real lull on our hands for 56th St, so don’t go getting your hopes up for the next week or so. The water’s sitting at a balmy 72°F right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 5°F above average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.
Looking at the week starting Monday the 17th of August, the swell is tiny, barely cracking 3ft and mostly coming from the SSW. The wind is no help either – mostly cross-on or onshore, keeping things choppy or just plain messy. The wave energy is weak, with combined energy readings mostly in the low hundreds (332), so there’s just no push. It’s a tough stretch for paddle surfing. Honestly, for the first 9 days, the setup is pretty poor and more interesting for kite surfing than anything else. You’d be fighting for tiny, weak bumps.
We do finally see a little uptick around Saturday the 29th of August. The swell bumps up to a waist-high 4ft from the SSW, and the wind turns lighter. On the Saturday morning and Sunday the 30th, the wind is offshore (on) or light, making it potentially glassy. The combined energy jumps into the moderate range (931 on Saturday morning), but the period is a long 18 seconds. That long period at a sheltered beach break like 56th St can mean the waves break a bit too straight and fat. It’s still only rated as marginal surf. The best of a quiet bunch would be the Sunday morning (30th) with that clean 4ft SSW swell and light offshore wind – that’s your only real window for a few grovelly ones, but don’t expect much. After that, it fades back down.
So, to sum it up: we’ve got a big gap of weak, poor surf until the final weekend of August. The standout is that Sunday morning the 30th, but it’s only for the dedicated. All in all, it’s a lean run at 56th St.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 268 | 261 | 203 | 184 | 242 | 270 | 280 | 196 | 183 | 183 | 175 | 101 | 99 | 98 | 63 | 121 | 165 | 127 | 112 | 210 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:32AM1.02m | 1:38PM1.46m | 3:19AM0.85m | 2:30PM1.41m | 3:46PM1.38m | 8:37AM0.99m | 5:09PM1.41m | 8:34AM1.06m | 6:13PM1.49m | 8:46AM1.11m | 7:00PM1.58m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 7:53PM0.41m | 6:55AM0.59m | 9:18PM0.42m | 7:10AM0.76m | 11:03PM0.38m | 00:27AM0.28m | 10:23AM0.99m | 1:20AM0.17m | 12:15PM0.95m | 1:59AM0.08m | 1:06PM0.87m | 2:29AM0.00m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 23 |
Feels °C | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 268 | 44 | 38 | 38 | 242 | 270 | 280 | 196 | 183 | 183 | 175 | 101 | 99 | 98 | 63 | 121 | 165 | 99 | 98 | 210 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | WSW 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 32 | 261 | 203 | 184 | 39 | 42 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 81 | 50 | 51 | 27 | 30 | 17 | 127 | 112 | 157 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 9 | SW 20 | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 10 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WSW 5 |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | 67 | 67 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 57 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 42 | 27 | 58 | 86 | 50 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — |
| kJ | 24 | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 125 | 8 | 46 | 87 | 16 | 33 | 125 | 0 | 46 | 47 | 32 | 46 | 114 | 0 | 57 | 125 | 36 | 46 | 110 | 0 |
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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