Surf Forecasts:
Thousand Steps surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with 414 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SSW 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the cards for Thousand Steps over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, there’s a rough spell ahead. The first solid week-plus is a real struggle. We’ve got a persistent cross-onshore wind from the south and southeast that keeps the surface messy and choppy. Even though there’s a long-period SW groundswell rolling in with periods up to 18 seconds, that energy is getting completely trashed by the wind. The combined wave energy sits mostly in the moderate range, hitting around 477 (Thursday) then dipping, but it’s not clean enough to enjoy. The swell is small, mostly 3 ft down to 1 ft, so it’s not a size issue—it’s just a mess. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing alarming.
The real standout window starts to look a bit more promising around Monday the 21st of September into Tuesday the 22nd. That afternoon on the 21st, the swell picks up to 3 ft from the SW, with a decent 17-second period, and the wind drops to a light breeze out of the south. The energy jumps to 508, which is a solid moderate pulse. It’s still cross-onshore, but light enough that the surface should be only crinkly rather than blown out. That’s the best call in the whole run—cleaner than anything else, but still not pristine. If you’re itching for a surf, that’s the session to target.
The 16th of September also shows a brief window of light onshore wind from the SSW, with a similar 3 ft swell and 18-second period, but the energy is lower at 369, and it’s only marginal. Worth a look if you’re desperate, but the 21st is better.
Otherwise, the vast majority of this 16-day period is a write-off for clean surf. The swell direction is coming from the SW, which is a decent direction for this reef, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, and the quality stays poor. Big gaps of 3-4 days with nothing worth paddling out for are common here.
Stay patient, keep an eye on that 21st, and don’t force it on the rest. The ocean’ll come around.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed night, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 19 | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 295 | 414 | 376 | 358 | 349 | 262 | 217 | 169 | 136 | 97 | 104 | 68 | 163 | 109 | 108 | 147 | 127 | 127 | 87 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 8:39PM2.28m | 9:35AM1.97m | 9:23PM2.20m | 10:03AM2.05m | 10:06PM2.06m | 10:31AM2.09m | 10:48PM1.88m | 10:59AM2.09m | 11:33PM1.68m | 11:26AM2.06m | 00:22AM1.49m | 11:56AM1.99m | 1:27AM1.32m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:18AM0.16m | 3:20PM0.62m | 3:48AM0.28m | 4:03PM0.53m | 4:17AM0.44m | 4:46PM0.49m | 4:43AM0.61m | 5:30PM0.51m | 5:06AM0.80m | 6:17PM0.56m | 5:26AM0.96m | 7:12PM0.64m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:57 | — |
mm | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 30 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 6 |
| kJ | 295 | 414 | 376 | 358 | 349 | 262 | 217 | 36 | 24 | 93 | 104 | 47 | 163 | 68 | 41 | 25 | 56 | 33 | 12 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 73 | 16 | 10 | 30 | 43 | 27 | 36 | 169 | 136 | 97 | 89 | 68 | 44 | 109 | 108 | 147 | 127 | 88 | 87 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 14 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 |
| kJ | 6 | 47 | 46 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 40 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 58 | 129 | 44 | 40 | 38 | 23 | 127 | 69 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 48 | 70 | 83 | 48 | 70 | 84 | 70 | 70 | 104 | 70 | 70 | 151 | 22 | 70 | 70 | 22 | 70 | 70 | 19 |
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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