Surf Forecasts:
Japs Cove surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with 252 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Japs Cove this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Japs Cove in the next 16 days are 0.6m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 2PM. 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+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Japs Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
To be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. Japs Cove is an inconsistent, advanced reef break that’s sheltered from most swell, and the forecast is pretty much a write-off for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but don’t get your hopes up. The water is sitting at 70°, which is 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a big anomaly, feels like bathwater compared to normal.
Starting Monday 13 July, it’s all poor. Tiny swell, around 2ft from the SSW, but the wind is cross-on or cross, and the combined energy is weak to moderate (159–209). The periods are nice – 13 seconds – but the wind just wrecks it. That trend holds through the first week. Tuesday and Wednesday the swell drops to 1ft, still cross-onshore, and the energy is just pathetic. Wednesday morning looks like it might turn offshore with a light SSW breeze, but the swell is only 1ft – not enough to do anything with. The rest of the week is a blur of small swell, cross-onshore winds, and choppy conditions. Saturday 18 July brings a slight bump to 2ft from the SW, with a period of 18 seconds, and the energy picks up a bit (227–234), but the wind is either cross-on or onshore. It’s just not happening.
The second week doesn’t get much better. Sunday 19 July sees the energy climb to 356, still with 2ft swell and a 17-second period, but the wind is onshore or cross-on. Monday 20 July has a light offshore breeze from the S, but the swell is still 2ft. The best looking morning in the whole run is Wednesday 22 July: a light WSW breeze, 2ft swell from the SSW, 14-second period, and the wave energy is strong at 370. But the conditions are still poor – it’s a cross-on breeze. Thursday 23 July is the only day that gets a score of 1, with 3ft swell from the S, 15-second period, and a strong energy of 578, but it’s still cross-on. The swell is too small for the size to be a problem, but the wind never really cleans it up.
After that, it fades again. The rest of the month is small, messy, and cross-on. There’s nothing here that’s worth paddling out for. Japs Cove is an advanced break that rarely fires, and this forecast confirms it’s a quiet period. No standouts, no hidden gems. If you’re desperate, the 3ft on Thursday 23 July might be the least terrible, but it’s still a long shot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 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) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | W 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 139 | 118 | 59 | 59 | 89 | 109 | 108 | 95 | 155 | 89 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 74 | 76 | 192 | 201 | 66 | 235 | 238 | 214 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:11AM1.58m | 8:57PM2.58m | 10:54AM1.64m | 9:46PM2.56m | 11:35AM1.69m | 10:35PM2.45m | 12:17PM1.75m | 11:24PM2.25m | 12:59PM1.80m | 00:13AM2.00m | 1:41PM1.84m | 1:07AM1.73m | 2:25PM1.86m | 2:13AM1.47m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:35PM1.05m | 4:19AM-0.16m | 3:30PM1.00m | 5:03AM-0.12m | 4:24PM0.97m | 5:44AM-0.01m | 5:21PM0.95m | 6:24AM0.16m | 6:21PM0.96m | 7:01AM0.36m | 7:28PM0.96m | 7:37AM0.58m | 8:47PM0.94m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 5 | W 7 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 139 | 118 | 44 | 59 | 89 | 28 | 55 | 95 | 155 | 80 | 34 | 82 | 34 | 23 | 76 | 192 | 201 | 66 | 235 | 238 | 214 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 13 | S 12 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 2 | 32 | 27 | 58 | 49 | 109 | 108 | 29 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 55 | 54 | 74 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 31 | 104 | 103 | 57 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 15 | W 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | W 17 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 |
| kJ | 18 | 59 | 59 | 21 | 16 | 65 | 33 | 14 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 91 | 94 | 51 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 3 | W 3 | W 4 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | — | — | — | W 5 | W 3 |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | 1 | 9 | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 156 | 73 | 19 | 73 | 156 | 10 | 4 | 77 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 127 | 11 |
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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