Surf Forecasts:
Thousand Steps surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 14s period, S swell with 682 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 16s. 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 1.3m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for the local stretch at Thousand Steps. Honestly, for a spot that’s usually pretty reliable, the next couple of weeks are looking flat and frustrating. We’ve got a big blank patch right off the bat, with nothing worth paddling out for from now until Saturday the 18th of July.
After that dry spell, things start to flicker back to life, but it’s still marginal. The first real chance to get wet comes on Sunday, July 18th. The morning has a light cross-onshore breeze and a small bump of swell, around 2ft from the southwest, but the energy is moderate (674). The afternoon builds a bit to 4ft from the south, but the wind gets up and it stays choppy.
The best of a tough run looks like Thursday morning, July 23rd. We’ll see a cleaner 5ft swell out of the south, with a period around 13 seconds. The wind is light cross-onshore, so the surface won’t be perfect, but it’s the biggest push of the forecast. The combined energy is strong (832), which means there’ll be some grunt behind those waves. This is still a bit big for beginners though, and the cross-on breeze will make it tricky.
A quick look at the rest:
The week after that keeps offering small swells, generally under 5ft, with persistent cross-onshore winds. Nothing really cleans up. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th have some SSW swell, but it’s short-period and the wind is never truly offshore.
The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about 2° above normal, so it feels slightly warmer than average for the time of year.
Overall, Thursday, July 23rd is the standout here, even with the caveats. It’s the only time we get decent size with moderate energy and a chance at a few clean ones. Everything else is a battle against the wind or just too small to get excited about. Keep your eyes on the forecasts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 301 | 273 | 253 | 257 | 149 | 119 | 123 | 152 | 77 | 96 | 90 | 64 | 88 | 91 | 130 | 74 | 153 | 246 | 682 | 469 | 272 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 00:08AM2.01m | 1:34PM1.84m | 1:01AM1.74m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:15PM0.94m | 6:55AM0.36m | 7:21PM0.95m | 7:31AM0.58m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 |
 | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | 7:59 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 |
Feels °C | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | SW 19 | SW 14 | S 14 | SSE 12 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 301 | 273 | 253 | 257 | 149 | 119 | 123 | 96 | 31 | 33 | 69 | 64 | 49 | 14 | 130 | 74 | 153 | 189 | 682 | 469 | 272 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | S 16 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 15 | S 14 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 18 | 46 | 18 | 59 | 96 | 57 | 111 | 152 | 65 | 50 | 90 | 64 | 88 | 77 | 15 | 6 | 76 | 239 | 258 | 27 | 238 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 17 | SW 21 | W 15 | W 15 | S 12 | S 15 | S 10 | W 4 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 18 | W 6 | SW 18 | SW 13 | WNW 15 | W 15 |
| kJ | 5 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 77 | 96 | 48 | 28 | 27 | 91 | 54 | 51 | 6 | 246 | 27 | 23 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 3 | WNW 9 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | S 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 104 | 0 | 70 | 104 | 65 | 270 | 104 | 39 | 70 | 104 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 22 | 70 | 74 | 0 | 104 | 104 | 0 | 104 |
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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