Surf Forecasts:
Japs Cove surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SSW swell with 217 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. 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 0.7m 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+) | 8AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Japs Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. I’ve looked at the Japs Cove forecast for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a tough one. This spot is a sheltered reef, and it’s inconsistent, so it takes a real special alignment to get it going. Over this whole 16-day run, there isn’t a single session that scores high enough to call a proper standout. The surf is just too small, choppy, or poorly aligned for the majority of the time.
We start off with a tiny window on Tuesday, the 18th of August. There’s a 1ft SSW swell rolling in with a long period of 17 seconds, but it’s being blown apart by a 12 mph cross-shore wind. The water is a very warm 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing going for it. The wave energy is moderate (219), but the conditions are just poor.
Wednesday morning, the 19th, is the best we’ll see in the first week. The swell bumps up to 2ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, and the wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the south. It’s clean. The energy is moderate (250) and the conditions are surfable, but it’s still very ordinary. For a spot that rarely breaks, this is a fleeting moment. After that, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The wind goes onshore or cross-onshore, the swell drops back to 1.0ft, and the energy tanks. There’s a gap of several days here where you’d be wasting your time.
As we move into the second week, the end of August and start of September doesn’t get much better. Around the 29th, we see a slightly bigger pulse of 3ft to 3ft from the SSW, with a 15-17 second period. The energy picks up to a strong 430 on Saturday morning, but it’s still a marginal forecast. The wind is light and onshore, and the conditions are poor.
The only real shift is on Tuesday, the 1st of September. The swell direction swings to the west, and the height jumps to 4ft, but the period is a horrible 7 seconds. That’s short-period wind chop, not groundswell. The energy is still strong (324), but with a 12 mph cross-on wind, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. Not one for the paddle surfer.
So, the bottom line is: Japs Cove is a no-go for the foreseeable future. There are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The break is inconsistent, and the stars just aren’t aligning. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though – things can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | W 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 142 | 209 | 217 | 125 | 118 | 118 | 115 | 69 | 68 | 68 | 50 | 50 | 120 | 127 | 111 | 113 | 111 | 101 | 212 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:40AM1.21m | 2:44PM1.83m | 3:56PM1.81m | 8:34AM1.36m | 5:13PM1.84m | 8:37AM1.43m | 6:14PM1.92m | 8:51AM1.49m | 7:01PM2.01m | 9:07AM1.54m | 7:41PM2.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:28PM0.80m | 7:11AM1.13m | 11:09PM0.74m | 00:27AM0.64m | 10:12AM1.35m | 1:17AM0.53m | 12:01PM1.32m | 1:55AM0.42m | 12:56PM1.25m | 2:26AM0.34m | 1:36PM1.16m | 2:54AM0.28m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | |
 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 20 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 16 | W 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 17 | W 7 |
| kJ | 61 | 33 | 217 | 23 | 118 | 118 | 115 | 69 | 68 | 68 | 11 | 30 | 120 | 16 | 57 | 42 | 31 | 101 | 131 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | W 14 | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 14 | SSW 12 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 142 | 209 | 4 | 125 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 49 | 4 | 42 | 42 | 15 | 58 | 111 | 103 | 106 | 29 | 135 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 20 | — | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 12 | SW 18 | S 16 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 15 | 16 | — | 13 | 56 | 14 | 3 | 50 | 21 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 58 | 127 | 20 | 113 | 111 | 37 | 58 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | — | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 10 | — | — | 14 | — | 58 | 52 | 212 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 0 | 127 | 10 | 10 | 127 | 9 | 11 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 77 | 127 | 0 | 83 | 127 | 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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