Surf Forecasts:
Thousand Steps surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 15s period, SSW swell with 811 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s 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 28) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. 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 1.4m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mates, let's get into what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks. The water's sitting at a warm 73°F, which is a solid 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that's a real treat for the skin.
Things are looking a bit slow out of the gate. The first few days are a bit of a write-off with some funky cross-onshore winds and marginal conditions. Honestly, the first real chance to wet a line doesn't come around until Tuesday, the 1st of September. That morning, we've got a glassy, light breeze at Thousand Steps (a reef break) and a clean 3ft swell from the South with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is a modest 226, so it's not going to be a powerhouse, but it'll be the best-looking wave of the early period – clean, small, and surfable. The wind is off, so the surface will be smooth.
After that, it's back to a bit of a struggle with a lot of cross-onshore slop and choppy conditions. We get a small bump in swell size on the morning of Thursday, the 3rd of September, with a 4ft SSW swell and a 14-second period, giving us a moderate 702 energy reading. But the cross-onshore wind is still there, so it's a bit of a crusher.
The pattern doesn't really change much through the second week. There's a consistent, small groundswell from the SSW, but the winds are rarely clean. The morning of Monday, the 7th of September, has a light cross-shore breeze with a 3ft SSW swell, but the quality is still marginal. The long-period stuff (15-18 seconds) that shows up is better suited for a point or a reef like this one, so the shape should be okay, but the wind is the enemy.
Honestly, if you're looking for a standout across the whole 16 days, it's that Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. That's the one time the stars align with a glassy wind and a clean, rideable wave. Everything else is a bit of a gamble with the onshore flow. Keep your expectations in check, and you might snag a couple of fun ones.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Sun morning, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | S 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 18 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 273 | 185 | 174 | 249 | 212 | 742 | 601 | 635 | 604 | 417 | 330 | 261 | 280 | 239 | 228 | 151 | 138 | 123 | 304 | 353 | 264 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:58AM1.75m | 9:20PM2.17m | 10:19AM1.82m | 9:55PM2.09m | 10:42AM1.90m | 10:32PM1.96m | 11:07AM1.97m | 11:13PM1.79m | 11:35AM2.01m | 11:59PM1.59m | 12:08PM2.03m | 1:01AM1.39m | 12:51PM2.03m | 2:44AM1.23m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:17PM0.85m | 4:02AM0.29m | 3:54PM0.77m | 4:26AM0.38m | 4:33PM0.70m | 4:49AM0.50m | 5:16PM0.66m | 5:12AM0.64m | 6:05PM0.64m | 5:36AM0.79m | 7:06PM0.65m | 6:00AM0.95m | 8:27PM0.65m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 17 | S 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 14 | W 7 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 273 | 185 | 123 | 249 | 53 | 742 | 601 | 635 | 141 | 110 | 330 | 102 | 280 | 239 | 228 | 151 | 138 | 68 | 304 | 353 | 153 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 9 | SSW 19 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | W 7 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 5 | SSW 13 | W 5 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 103 | 103 | 93 | 80 | 212 | 60 | 76 | 60 | 604 | 417 | 63 | 261 | 51 | 120 | 13 | 67 | 8 | 123 | 132 | 129 | 264 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | W 12 | SSW 18 | W 7 | W 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 19 | SW 13 | W 5 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 4 | — | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 142 | 45 | 174 | 22 | 44 | 34 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 35 | 80 | 113 | 180 | 35 | 88 | 8 | 70 | 80 | 4 | — | 168 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | W 4 | — | W 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | 6 | — | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 70 | 96 | 7 | 70 | 133 | 39 | 70 | 104 | 46 | 70 | 104 | 22 | 70 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 7 | 104 | 104 | 0 |
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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