Surf Forecasts:
Sunset Beach surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 751 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Sunset Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Sunset Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sunset Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sunset Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Sunset Beach.
Overall, the next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag. We have a long stretch of clean, glassy mornings, but the swell is generally small and the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore in the afternoons, chopping things up. The first few days offer weak, marginal surf, but there’s a promising pulse of energy building towards the end of the first week and into the second week.
The water temperature is sitting at 71°F and that’s a solid 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s noticeably warmer than average.
Sunday morning the 23rd sees a small 1ft SSW swell with a nice long 19-second period, and a light offshore breeze from the WSW. The combined energy is weak (253). It’s clean, but honestly, there’s just not enough push to get excited about. Monday morning the 24th is similar but with a shorter period. Tuesday morning the 25th offers 2ft SW swell with a 16-second period and light offshore wind, but it remains marginal.
Wednesday morning the 26th brings a slight bump to 4ft S swell with a 12-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s messy. The energy jumps to moderate (571). That pattern continues into Thursday, still with cross-onshore winds.
Friday morning the 28th gets interesting. We have a 2ft SSW swell, but the period is a solid 18 seconds, with a light offshore wind (SW, 10 km/h) and moderate combined energy (439). It’s the cleanest morning of the first week. Still small, but the quality is there for a patient surfer.
Now, the standout window. The best bet on offer is Friday morning, 4th September. Sunset Beach gets a 4ft SSW swell with an 18-second period, a light offshore wind from the SW, and strong combined energy (917). That’s the best combo of size, period, and wind in the whole forecast. The only downside is the swell direction is SSW, not the ideal SW, but with that period and offshore wind, it should still produce some nice, clean lines. The crowds are possible here, so get there early.
The morning of Saturday the 5th also looks good with 3ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and light offshore wind (721 energy). A solid option for the weekend.
By Sunday morning the 6th, the swell drops to 3ft SSW with a 15-second period and still light cross-onshore wind, but the energy is still moderate (691). From Monday the 7th onward, things fade and the wind turns more onshore again, ending the run.
So, the long and short of it: a lot of small, clean mornings, but the real standout is Friday morning, 4th September. Pencil it in.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 127 | 112 | 213 | 163 | 142 | 224 | 216 | 127 | 225 | 339 | 322 | 400 | 303 | 277 | 178 | 302 | 212 | 582 | 550 | 590 | 561 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:47AM1.50m | 7:00PM2.03m | 9:04AM1.56m | 7:39PM2.12m | 9:22AM1.62m | 8:15PM2.19m | 9:41AM1.69m | 8:49PM2.21m | 10:01AM1.76m | 9:23PM2.18m | 10:23AM1.84m | 9:58PM2.10m | 10:45AM1.91m | 10:36PM1.97m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:55PM1.25m | 2:23AM0.34m | 1:35PM1.16m | 2:51AM0.27m | 2:10PM1.06m | 3:17AM0.24m | 2:45PM0.96m | 3:42AM0.25m | 3:20PM0.86m | 4:06AM0.30m | 3:57PM0.78m | 4:29AM0.38m | 4:36PM0.71m | 4:52AM0.50m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 27 | 98 | 213 | 163 | 142 | 224 | 216 | 117 | 225 | 339 | 322 | 400 | 303 | 277 | 178 | 117 | 81 | 582 | 550 | 590 | 561 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SSE 11 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | S 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 8 |
| kJ | 99 | 112 | 155 | 154 | 50 | 126 | 87 | 127 | 97 | 29 | 121 | 106 | 21 | 73 | 151 | 302 | 212 | 51 | 24 | 45 | 71 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 16 | WSW 5 | W 6 | S 14 | W 5 | W 6 | S 13 | W 6 | SW 16 | W 6 | W 8 | SW 14 | W 8 | W 11 | W 8 | SW 14 | W 10 | S 8 | S 9 | SSW 8 |
| kJ | 127 | 50 | 7 | 16 | 66 | 13 | 16 | 87 | 27 | 203 | 19 | 20 | 103 | 20 | 37 | 20 | 89 | 51 | 21 | 25 | 23 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — |
| kJ | — | 10 | — | — | 9 | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 105 | 140 | 0 | 105 | 149 | 30 | 95 | 46 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 53 | 15 | 32 | 72 | 1 | 53 | 46 | 32 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Sunset Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Sunset Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Sunset Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Sunset Beach 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 (Sunset Beach) 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 Sunset Beach 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.
Sunset Beach is 4 km (2 miles) from the city of Seal Beach. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Seal Beach. Seal Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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