Surf Forecasts:
Huntington Cliffs surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Huntington Cliffs this week:
The surf forecast for Huntington Cliffs over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Huntington Cliffs in the next 16 days are 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM. 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+) | 5AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Huntington Cliffs over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu over the next couple of weeks for Huntington Cliffs. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough outlook. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, messy conditions, and honestly, there isn't a single standout session in the whole 16-day window. The first real chance to even think about a paddle is Tuesday morning, August 18th.
Tuesday morning, August 18th, we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell pushing in from the SSW with a long 16-second period. The energy is weak, sitting at 309. The wind is light and offshore from the SW, which would usually be a major positive, but with a combined energy reading that low, it's really just a lot of waiting for a barely-rideable wave. The water temp is 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings cross-on and the surf turns to junk – zero score material.
The story stays the same all week. Wednesday morning, August 19th, shows a similar 3ft SSW swell with offshore wind, but the conditions are still flagged as marginal. After that, it's a streak of poor or marginal calls right through to the end of the month. Nearly every afternoon gets ruined by a cross-on breeze, and the wave heights hover between 1ft and 3ft. The periods are long, sometimes 15 to 19 seconds, which means it’s mostly groundswell, but with that small size at a beach and reef setup like this, those long-period swells aren't going to shape up into much at all.
There are a couple of mornings with light offshore wind, like Sunday morning, August 23rd, and Monday morning, August 24th, but the swell is only 1ft to 2ft. The combined energy on the 23rd is 312, still weak. It’s the kind of stuff where you might get a knee-high wave if you're patient, but it’s not worth paddling out for. The pattern doesn't improve into the first week of September either – the biggest swell we see in the whole outlook is 3ft on the 30th and 31st, but the wind is cross or cross-on, killing any chance of clean waves. Even the last entry on Wednesday, September 2nd, shows a 2ft SSW swell with a period of 19 seconds and energy of 472 – but the wind is cross-on, so it’s a write-off.
Bottom line: there are no good surf options in the entire 16-day window. With Huntington Cliffs being fairly consistent on a normal year, this is a frustratingly blank run. Keep your eyes on the forecasts – it tends not to stay this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
203 | 181 | 242 | 270 | 280 | 196 | 183 | 183 | 175 | 101 | 99 | 98 | 63 | 120 | 165 | 127 | 112 | 210 | 154 | 142 | 175 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 1:46PM1.88m | 3:31AM1.21m | 2:38PM1.83m | 3:51PM1.80m | 8:28AM1.36m | 5:09PM1.83m | 8:31AM1.43m | 6:11PM1.91m | 8:46AM1.49m | 6:58PM2.01m | 9:02AM1.55m | 7:38PM2.11m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 9:21PM0.80m | 7:07AM1.13m | 11:03PM0.75m | 00:22AM0.64m | 10:11AM1.35m | 1:13AM0.53m | 11:59AM1.32m | 1:50AM0.42m | 12:54PM1.24m | 2:22AM0.33m | 1:33PM1.15m | 2:49AM0.27m | |||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SW 17 | W 7 |
39 | 41 | 242 | 270 | 280 | 196 | 183 | 183 | 175 | 101 | 99 | 98 | 63 | 120 | 165 | 99 | 98 | 210 | 25 | 142 | 91 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 16 | W 6 | W 6 | W 10 | SW 19 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 17 |
203 | 181 | 38 | 42 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 51 | 13 | 6 | 17 | 127 | 112 | 21 | 154 | 50 | 175 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 9 | SW 20 | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 14 | S 13 |
67 | 66 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 57 | 14 | 8 | 81 | 50 | 6 | 42 | 27 | 58 | 86 | 50 | 155 | 52 | 66 | 89 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 47 | 33 | 134 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 76 | 11 | 27 | 135 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 17 | 36 | 99 | 0 | 36 | 92 | 0 | 135 | 76 | 76 | 135 | 41 | 41 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Huntington Cliffs Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Huntington Cliffs provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Huntington Cliffs can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Huntington Cliffs 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 (Huntington Cliffs) 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 Huntington Cliffs 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.
Huntington Cliffs is 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Huntington Beach. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











