Surf Forecasts:
Thousand Steps surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, S swell with 599 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 5s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. 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+) | 8PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you—this 16-day window for Thousand Steps is a tough one. The water's sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing that's slightly above average.
We're looking at a long stretch of mostly poor surf conditions. From Friday the 21st right through the weekend, the swell is tiny, barely 1 ft to 2 ft, and while the winds are light, they're mostly cross-onshore, which just makes for messy, small waves. The combined energy is weak, hanging around 130 to 290. It's a frustrating start.
Things stay pretty ordinary through Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th. The swell does start to build a little, hitting 3 ft to 3 ft from the S, and the energy picks up to moderate levels (589 to 663). But the wind is still cross-onshore, and the conditions are only marginal at best. It's a bit of a tease.
The middle of the week, Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th, sees the biggest swell of the window, with 4 ft to 5 ft from the S, and the energy is strong, hitting 790. But once again, the wind is cross-onshore, and it's still only marginal. It's not the clean, groomed wave you'd want for that size.
Then we get a glimmer. Friday morning the 28th of August is the standout. The wind swings to light offshore from the SW, just 3 mph, and the swell is 2 ft from the SSW with a long 17-second period. That's a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate at 570. For a reef break like Thousand Steps, that long period will wrap in nicely, and glassy offshore wind means clean, lined-up waves. This is the best you'll get, but the crowds are sometimes an issue here, so be ready to share.
After that, it's a slow fade. The last weekend of August and into September, the swell drops back to 2 ft to 3 ft, the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the energy dwindles. There are gaps of several days with no proper recommendations. By the 5th of September, the wind is pumping at 12 mph cross-onshore, and the surf is poor. This setup is looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, pick your window. That Friday morning the 28th is your best bet. Otherwise, it's a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 101 | 99 | 99 | 63 | 121 | 165 | 127 | 112 | 213 | 163 | 142 | 224 | 216 | 396 | 599 | 569 | 463 | 336 | 185 | 172 | 125 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:27AM1.36m | 5:08PM1.83m | 8:30AM1.43m | 6:10PM1.91m | 8:44AM1.49m | 6:57PM2.01m | 9:00AM1.55m | 7:36PM2.10m | 9:18AM1.61m | 8:12PM2.17m | 9:37AM1.67m | 8:46PM2.19m | 9:58AM1.75m | 9:20PM2.17m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:10AM1.35m | 1:12AM0.53m | 11:58AM1.32m | 1:49AM0.43m | 12:53PM1.24m | 2:20AM0.34m | 1:32PM1.15m | 2:48AM0.27m | 2:07PM1.05m | 3:14AM0.24m | 2:42PM0.94m | 3:38AM0.25m | 3:17PM0.85m | 4:02AM0.29m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | W 6 | W 6 | S 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | 101 | 99 | 99 | 18 | 121 | 165 | 26 | 98 | 213 | 163 | 142 | 45 | 39 | 396 | 599 | 569 | 463 | 336 | 185 | 172 | 125 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 5 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 |
| kJ | 11 | 10 | 9 | 63 | 10 | 14 | 99 | 15 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 224 | 216 | 42 | 133 | 82 | 124 | 96 | 58 | 32 | 34 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 81 | 49 | 51 | 50 | 27 | 58 | 127 | 112 | 155 | 154 | 66 | 126 | 87 | 127 | 124 | 159 | 16 | 106 | 103 | 102 | 120 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | 75 | — | — | 58 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 70 | 104 | 0 | 104 | 104 | 0 | 70 | 7 | 0 | 104 | 7 | 0 | 104 | 7 | 2 | 70 | 133 | 7 | 70 | 83 | 20 |
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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