Surf Forecasts:
Huntington Cliffs surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW 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, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8AM. 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 Huntington Cliffs in the next 16 days are 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM. 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+) | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Huntington Cliffs over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks. Honestly, the ocean’s looking pretty sleepy for a while, so we’re gonna have to be patient.
For the first week, from the 17th through the 24th, there’s just nothing doing. We’re looking at tiny, weak swell, mostly under 3ft, with a lot of onshore and cross-onshore wind messing things up. The energy is weak too, barely pushing past 300 in the combined swell energy readings. The water is a balmy 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a silver lining if you just want a paddle. But for actual waves, you’re chasing shadows. It’s a real grind.
There are a couple of mornings, like the 18th and the 23rd, where the wind drops right out and it gets glassy, but the swell is just too small and weak to do anything with. It’s those “maybe if I squint” sort of days. The break at Huntington Cliffs is fairly consistent, but with this little energy, it’s not going to be doing much.
Now, as we push into the second week, things start to get interesting. The real standout is looking like Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. We finally get some proper groundswell pushing in from the SSW, with swell heights building to 4ft. The combined energy jumps way up, hitting around 900. It’s still a bit raw, with cross-onshore winds in the mornings, but the energy is there. The period is around 16-18 seconds, which is proper groundswell.
For this size, 4ft is a friendly size for most. It’s not going to be a beginner’s nightmare, but it’ll have enough push to be fun. The direction is good for this spot, straight out of the SSW. This is the time to be out there. It’s a long-range call, so it’s promising but not locked in, but it’s the best bet we’ve got. It’s a shame the winds aren’t offshore, but with that much juice in the water, it’ll still be worth the paddle.
Beyond that, it looks like it fades again into the start of September. So, mark your calendar for that weekend at the end of the month.
Later,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:41AM1.37m | 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 | |||||||||
Low Tide | 7:56PM0.79m | 6:51AM0.96m | 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 | ||||||||
— | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 23 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 | — |
24 | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 135 | 18 | 36 | 76 | 27 | 23 | 135 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 104 | 4 | 53 | 135 | 36 | 36 | 99 | 0 |
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.











