Thousand Steps Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.50° N 117.74° W

Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 03 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thousand Steps sea temperature is
23.6° C
4.2° 

Thousand Steps surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Thousand Steps surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 366 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SW 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Tue 4th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Tue 4th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Most Powerful11PM (Sat 8th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thousand Steps over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut through it. The next sixteen days are looking pretty quiet. Solid surf is a rare thing in this window, with the swell sitting small and the winds mostly cross-onshore or onshore. The energy does get moderate at times, like the 331 and 327 readings on the 7th, and it builds to a peak around 517 on the 14th, but the wave heights stay small, so don’t expect a big push.

Your first best chance is Friday the 7th. We’ve got a 19-second groundswell, but the height is only around 2ft. Morning has a light cross-onshore, but the afternoon goes light offshore, which will clean it up. That long period should give the reef at Thousand Steps some real shape, even if it’s not big. It’s the pick of the early days.

The weekend and early next week drop back down to 2ft to 3ft, with periods between 13 and 17 seconds. The wind flips around, with mornings getting a bit choppy on the 8th and 9th. Energy stays moderate, in the 300s, but nothing worth getting too excited about.

Now the standout window is the 14th and 15th. That’s a week out, so call it promising, not guaranteed. The 14th afternoon has the biggest energy reading of the whole period at 517, with a 2ft swell from the SSW at 18 seconds. The morning is 2ft at 19 seconds with 475 energy. That’s proper groundswell for a reef. The 15th is slightly bigger at 3ft, but the period drops to 16 seconds and the wind is more cross-onshore, so the 14th is the one to keep an eye on. That long period will make it line up nicely on the reef.

After that, it fades. The 16th is 3ft at 15 seconds, the 17th drops to 2ft with the wind picking up to 20 km/h cross-onshore in the afternoon, making it messy. The 18th is back to 1ft and it’s over.

On the water temp: it reads 75° on the 3rd, which is 8° warmer than usual. That’s very unusual, so the water is going to feel warm, no wetsuit needed.

If you’re looking for the one day to make the most of, go for the 14th. The 7th is a decent backup for a clean, small-wave session. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
12
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SW
14
0.4
SW
14
0.5
SW
14
0.5
SW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.4
SW
18
0.5
SSW
19
0.5
SSW
19
0.7
SSW
18
0.6
SSW
17
0.7
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
66
41
84
77
75
71
71
97
88
114
84
212
210
270
237
229
366
249
242
239
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
5
S
10
SSW
10
WSW
5
SE
15
SSW
10
SSW
5
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
10
SSE
15
S
10
SW
10
S
15
S
10
SW
10
SSE
15
S
10
SSW
10
SE
Wind State
on
cross-on
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
00:53AM1.51m
1:42PM1.90m
2:11AM1.31m
2:33PM1.95m
4:27AM1.19m
3:40PM2.02m
6:50AM1.26m
4:54PM2.11m
7:53AM1.38m
6:04PM2.24m
8:33AM1.49m
7:04PM2.37m
Low Tide
7:21PM0.91m
6:50AM0.78m
8:41PM0.85m
7:21AM0.94m
10:19PM0.74m
8:05AM1.09m
11:49PM0.55m
9:35AM1.20m
00:54AM0.34m
11:22AM1.23m
1:46AM0.15m
12:41PM1.16m
2:31AM0.01m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:05
6:05
6:05
6:07
6:07
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:49
7:47
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:44
7:43
 mm
Temp °C
22
21
23
23
21
23
22
21
23
23
22
23
23
22
23
23
22
23
23
22
Feels °C
23
23
24
23
23
24
22
22
24
24
23
23
23
23
23
23
23
23
23
22
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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