Surf Forecasts:
Thousand Steps surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 15s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 344 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 15s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thousand Steps this week:
The surf forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thousand Steps in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 8PM. 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+) | 8PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what we’ve got coming down the line for the next 16 days. Thousand Steps is our only spot on the map, and I gotta be real with you – it’s a tough stretch. There’s a big gap of about a week with no real surf to get excited about.
Starting off, Friday the 10th and the whole weekend are a bust. The swell is tiny, the wind is messy, and it’s coming from the SSW with a long 15-second period. That groundswell needs a point or a reef, but the cross-on breeze just chops everything up. Water temp is 67°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.
Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th roll in with the same story: tiny waves and poor conditions. The swell energy is weak, and it’s just not worth the effort. This whole first week is a blank.
The first real spark happens on Sunday July 19th. We get a jump in combined swell energy to over 800, with swell heights reaching 4ft from the SSE and S. That’s a noticeable pulse of power. The period drops to 14-15 seconds, still solid groundswell, and on the Sunday morning we’ve got offshore SW wind at 6 mph. That is the standout window – clean conditions, real energy, and a south-east direction that should light up the reef. It’s the best on offer, but it’s still only a marginal call, so don’t expect perfection. The afternoon turns cross-on again, but if you’re jonesing, the Sunday morning session is your best bet.
After that, we slide back into weak stuff. Monday the 20th through Thursday the 23rd sees smaller SSW swell with persistent cross-on winds. Nothing to write home about.
Saturday July 25th shows another minor uptick – 3-4ft from the south with a 12-second period and energy around 500-565. The morning has a clean offshore wind (SW at 6 mph), but it’s still flagged as marginal. That’s the second-best option in this run, but it’s way out in the second week, so take it with a grain of salt.
Bottom line: the first week is a write-off. If you’re desperate, pencil in the morning of Sunday July 19th for a look. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. Thousand Steps is a consistent reef, so it rarely stays poor for long – the forecasts could change. But right now, it’s a lean period.
Stay patient, stay stoked, and check back in.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 309 | 305 | 314 | 259 | 210 | 297 | 301 | 269 | 253 | 257 | 149 | 119 | 123 | 152 | 78 | 96 | 90 | 64 | 87 | 91 | 130 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on |
High Tide | 6:13PM2.28m | 8:31AM1.43m | 7:08PM2.42m | 9:20AM1.52m | 8:01PM2.53m | 10:05AM1.59m | 8:52PM2.58m | 10:47AM1.65m | 9:42PM2.56m | 11:28AM1.71m | 10:30PM2.45m | 12:10PM1.76m | 11:19PM2.26m | 12:51PM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:52AM0.18m | 12:34PM1.12m | 2:42AM0.00m | 1:35PM1.09m | 3:29AM-0.11m | 2:32PM1.04m | 4:14AM-0.16m | 3:26PM0.99m | 4:57AM-0.12m | 4:20PM0.95m | 5:38AM-0.01m | 5:15PM0.94m | 6:17AM0.16m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 |
 | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | 8:00 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 |
| kJ | 309 | 305 | 314 | 259 | 210 | 297 | 301 | 269 | 253 | 257 | 149 | 119 | 123 | 96 | 44 | 33 | 82 | 46 | 32 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 18 | S 18 | SW 21 | S 16 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | W 5 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 102 | 25 | 18 | 46 | 18 | 59 | 96 | 57 | 111 | 14 | 65 | 50 | 90 | 64 | 87 | 77 | 130 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | S 9 | S 19 | S 20 | W 6 | W 5 | W 17 | SW 21 | W 15 | W 15 | S 12 | S 15 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 30 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 17 | 8 | 152 | 78 | 96 | 49 | 28 | 27 | 91 | 54 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | WNW 9 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 70 | 10 | 70 | 7 | 10 | 70 | 104 | 0 | 104 | 104 | 0 | 104 | 104 | 70 | 70 | 83 | 70 | 70 | 125 | 2 | 70 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Thousand Steps Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Thousand Steps provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Thousand Steps can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Thousand Steps 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 (Thousand Steps) 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 Thousand Steps 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.
Thousand Steps is 4 km (2 miles) from Laguna Niguel. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Laguna Niguel. Laguna Niguel has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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