Japs Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.72° N 118.34° W

Japs Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Japs Cove sea temperature is
22.3° C
3.5° 

Japs Cove surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Japs Cove surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with 373 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. 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 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Sun 9th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 15s
Best Surf11PM (Sun 9th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 15s
Most Powerful 5AM (Sat 15th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Japs Cove over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let me break it down in feet and fahrenheit for you.

I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is giving us a big ol' goose egg for quite a while. The first real whisper of anything surfable doesn’t pop up until Sunday morning, August 16th, and even then, it’s just a flicker. Before that, we’re looking at a solid week of nothing good, day after day of poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, the winds are mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the whole setup just looks messy.

For the first few days, from the 8th through the 15th, the surf is just not happening. The waves are barely 2 ft, the period is all over the place but nothing with any real grunt, and the wind just chops everything up. The combined energy is weak, sitting around 140 to 374 – that’s not even enough to get excited about a knee-high dribbler. It’s a total write-off.

The one day that might give you a little hope is Sunday, August 16th. The morning sees a slight uptick with the swell pushing 3 ft from the SSW, and the period stretches out to 16 seconds. The combined energy finally gets into a moderate zone at 410. The wind is a light cross-onshore, which at least keeps it from being total windslop. But look, the forecast itself calls it marginal, and with a score of just 1 out of 10, we're not talking about a classic session. It’s a maybe, if you’re really desperate to get wet.

For the rest of the run into the 23rd, it’s more of the same: small swell, inconsistent energy, and winds that never quite clean up. The water temp at the start was a balmy 72°, which is way warmer than usual for this time of year – 6° above the norm, so that’s a nice surprise for your toes, but the surf just isn’t there to enjoy it.

Japs Cove is a sheltered reef break for advanced crew, and it’s inconsistent at the best of times, which makes this dry spell more normal than a shock. It just doesn’t look like it’s going to turn on in this 16-day window. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 19°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SSW
17
0.5
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
16
0.6
SSW
15
0.5
SSW
15
0.5
SSW
14
0.5
SSW
14
0.4
SW
20
0.4
SW
19
0.3
SW
18
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
0.4
SSW
19
0.6
SSW
18
0.7
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
172
147
223
172
121
120
105
97
96
56
154
152
143
127
125
124
121
188
139
211
223
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
25
W
5
SSW
10
SW
15
WSW
5
SW
10
SW
15
WSW
5
WSW
10
SSW
10
SW
5
SSW
10
SW
20
WSW
5
SSW
10
SSW
15
WSW
10
SW
5
SW
20
W
10
W
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
6:08PM2.24m
8:39AM1.49m
7:08PM2.37m
9:14AM1.59m
8:02PM2.46m
9:48AM1.69m
8:51PM2.49m
10:22AM1.78m
9:38PM2.43m
10:55AM1.85m
10:23PM2.29m
11:28AM1.91m
11:08PM2.08m
Low Tide
11:25AM1.23m
1:52AM0.15m
12:44PM1.17m
2:37AM0.01m
1:45PM1.06m
3:18AM-0.06m
2:39PM0.94m
3:57AM-0.05m
3:29PM0.84m
4:33AM0.03m
4:18PM0.77m
5:06AM0.17m
5:08PM0.73m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:09
6:11
6:11
6:11
6:13
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:44
7:43
7:42
7:40
 mm
Temp °C
21
22
21
21
23
21
22
23
22
21
22
21
21
22
21
20
20
20
20
21
20
Feels °C
21
21
20
21
23
22
23
22
22
22
21
20
22
22
21
21
19
20
21
21
19
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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