Surf Forecasts:
Japs Cove surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SSW swell with 534 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Japs Cove this week:
The surf forecast for Japs Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 20s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Japs Cove in the next 16 days are 0.9m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 2AM. 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 (Fri 14th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Japs Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with you—this stretch is a quiet one. Japs Cove is the only break on the cards, and it’s a sheltered, inconsistent reef setup that’s really only for the advanced crew. Over the next 16 days, there’s nothing here that’s going to get the heart racing. We’re looking at a long, flat run from now, all the way through to the end of the month.
Let’s start at the beginning. From Thursday 13 August, we’ve got a tiny 0.5ft SSW swell rolling in, but with a very long 16-second period. The combined swell energy is weak (151), and the water temp anomaly is about average for this time of year. The morning starts with a light onshore breeze, but don’t get excited—every single record in the file says “poor surf conditions.” That’s the story for the whole 16-day window.
Friday 14 August and Saturday 15 August? Same deal. Swell barely nudges up to 0.6ft and 0.8ft, still from the SSW to SW, with periods hitting 16-19 seconds. The combined energy climbs a little to moderate (381 on Saturday morning), but it’s all cross-onshore or cross-shore winds—moderate breeze, chop city. Not a wave worth paddling for.
Sunday 16 August through to Tuesday 18 August? Still tiny—0.4ft to 0.7ft—with periods dropping to 14-16 seconds. Winds flip between light onshore and moderate cross-onshore. The combined energy stays moderate (around 236-270), but the quality is just “poor.” No standouts. Nothing.
From Wednesday 19 August, all the way through to Friday 28 August, it’s the same rhythm. Swell stays between 0.3ft and 0.6ft, mostly from the SSW to SW, with periods ranging 13-19 seconds. Combined energy sits between 105 and 348—mostly weak to moderate. Winds are light and cross-onshore or onshore, with a few clear mornings, but the surf quality never improves. The reef might be inconsistent, but this is a full-on drought.
If you’re a kitesurfer, this onshore chop might give you something to play with, but for paddle surfing? There’s nothing here. Not a single standout. Not one. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a solid blank run. Hang in there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | W 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 124 | 164 | 188 | 137 | 211 | 534 | 330 | 326 | 318 | 306 | 217 | 214 | 186 | 140 | 136 | 146 | 107 | 142 | 209 | 164 | 181 |
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 | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:55AM1.85m | 10:23PM2.29m | 11:28AM1.91m | 11:08PM2.08m | 12:01PM1.95m | 11:54PM1.84m | 12:35PM1.95m | 00:44AM1.59m | 1:11PM1.93m | 1:48AM1.36m | 1:51PM1.88m | 3:40AM1.21m | 2:44PM1.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:18PM0.77m | 5:06AM0.17m | 5:08PM0.73m | 5:38AM0.36m | 6:00PM0.73m | 6:07AM0.57m | 6:56PM0.76m | 6:33AM0.78m | 8:03PM0.79m | 6:56AM0.97m | 9:28PM0.80m | 7:11AM1.13m | 11:09PM0.74m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 6 | SSW 14 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 16 | W 7 |
| kJ | 124 | 164 | 188 | 104 | 211 | 534 | 330 | 326 | 318 | 306 | 217 | 214 | 47 | 140 | 120 | 95 | 56 | 123 | 61 | 164 | 181 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 14 | W 4 | W 5 | S 11 | S 11 | W 5 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | W 10 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 21 | 21 | 75 | 137 | 103 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 186 | 32 | 136 | 146 | 107 | 142 | 209 | 16 | 125 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 10 | S 9 | W 11 | S 11 | SW 13 | W 11 | W 10 | S 11 | W 10 | W 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 20 | W 14 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 6 | 24 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 44 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 67 | 15 | 16 | 4 | 13 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 5 | — | — | SW 9 | — | — | W 3 | W 5 | W 6 | W 4 | W 6 | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | — | 31 | — | — | 5 | 20 | 30 | 19 | 52 | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 156 | 32 | 11 | 127 | 19 | 156 | 64 | 40 | 156 | 156 | 12 | 127 | 127 | 11 | 10 | 51 | 9 | 10 | 73 | 9 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Los Angeles County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Japs Cove Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Japs Cove provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Japs Cove can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Japs Cove 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 (Japs Cove) 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 Japs Cove 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.
Japs Cove is 5 km (3 miles) from Rancho Palos Verdes. If you plan a vacation in Los Angeles County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Rancho Palos Verdes. Rancho Palos Verdes has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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