Surf Forecasts:
Sunset Beach surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, S swell with 453 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) 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+) | 8AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 31st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sunset Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a pretty quiet stretch ahead for Sunset Beach (North OC). The water is sitting at 72°, which is a solid 6° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real standout, and it’s going to feel like bathwater.
The best bet in this whole 16-day window is the morning of Friday, July 31st. We’re looking at a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the south, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, packing moderate energy (492). The wind is light and from the southwest, which is onshore, but it’s only a light breeze at 6 mph, so it should stay pretty clean. It’s a beginner-friendly wave today, but the quality is only marginal due to questionable tide conditions. Still, it’s the best we’ve got.
After that Friday morning, it’s a long, painful run. From Friday afternoon all the way through to Saturday, August 15th, the surf quality is rated as poor. The swell drops off into the 1ft to 3ft range, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, often from the southwest or south-southwest at 6 to 12 mph. The periods are all over the place, from short 12-second junk up to some very long 19 and 20-second pulses, but the energy is weak to moderate (hit a low of 91, and only flirting with numbers like 508 later on). There’s a good four days straight with no rideable surf at all from July 31st afternoon through August 3rd.
The morning of August 14th and the morning of August 15th show a little blip of marginal surf, with a 2ft and 3ft groundswell respectively, and light offshore wind from the southwest. The energies are getting up there – 416 and 508 – but the swell heights are just too small to get excited about. The period on the 15th is 16 seconds, so it’s got some shape, but it’s still a scratchy, small wave day.
Overall, keep your expectations low. This is a run of tiny, onshore slop only broken by one very brief window of just-okay surf. If the wind cooperates, the morning of the 31st is your only real shot at a few clean ones.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 480 | 290 | 189 | 201 | 218 | 85 | 75 | 49 | 47 | 42 | 66 | 41 | 84 | 77 | 75 | 72 | 71 | 97 | 63 | 114 | 84 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:41AM1.69m | 10:48PM2.08m | 12:07PM1.75m | 11:24PM1.92m | 12:35PM1.80m | 00:05AM1.73m | 1:07PM1.86m | 00:58AM1.52m | 1:46PM1.92m | 2:16AM1.32m | 2:37PM1.97m | 4:31AM1.21m | 3:43PM2.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:49PM0.98m | 5:39AM0.37m | 5:32PM0.96m | 6:04AM0.49m | 6:23PM0.94m | 6:28AM0.63m | 7:25PM0.91m | 6:54AM0.79m | 8:45PM0.86m | 7:25AM0.95m | 10:23PM0.74m | 8:09AM1.10m | 11:51PM0.55m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 480 | 290 | 189 | 201 | 218 | 54 | 20 | 13 | 18 | 26 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 77 | 75 | 72 | 71 | 97 | 63 | 114 | 84 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | S 10 | S 10 | W 6 | W 6 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 12 | WSW 4 | W 5 | SSW 12 | W 4 | W 5 | SSW 20 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 12 | 46 | 68 | 21 | 13 | 85 | 75 | 49 | 44 | 42 | 43 | 39 | 84 | 22 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 40 | 82 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | W 4 | S 9 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | S 10 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 12 | S 11 | W 5 |
| kJ | — | 10 | 4 | 40 | 56 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 23 | 66 | 41 | 38 | 8 | 42 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | — | — | 15 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 4 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 32 | 140 | 15 | 32 | 95 | 32 | 32 | 95 | 32 | 32 | 140 | 32 | 32 | 95 | 32 | 32 | 95 | 5 | 32 | 140 | 22 |
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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