Swell Intel

Cottons Surf Forecast, Orange County, California

Orange County, California

Fourchon2-3ftDauphin Island0-1ftOkaloosa Pier2-3ft
Cottons surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
1-2ft
ankle to knee high
Swell Period
11.5s
Wind
4mph
WSW / Gusts 5mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
1.1ft @ 12sS
Secondary
0.5ft @ 15sSSW
Tertiary
0.5ft @ 3sS

Nearest Webcam

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Tue, Mar 312-3ft
Poor

Not the most exciting day — 1-2ft and poor conditions with moderate SSW wind around 7mph.

6am9am12pm3pm
12s SSW|7mph SSW
Wed, Apr 11-2ft
Poor

A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with 8mph from the SW.

6am9am12pm3pm
10s S|5-8mph NNW
Thu, Apr 22-3ft
Poor

Not the most exciting day — 1-2ft and poor conditions with light winds out of the NNW.

6am9am12pm3pm
4s W|5-7mph WNW
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Sat
3ft
Swell building Sat, Apr 4Fair

19s period — conditions are improving beyond your forecast

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Forecast Charts

Cottons Surf Spot Guide

Break
Point
Bottom
Cobblestone
Level
Intermediate
Crowd
Moderate
Best Swell
S
Best Wind
NE
Season
Summer

Cottons Point is the northernmost break in the Trestles complex, a fickle left-hand point break over cobblestone that transforms from a mushy, forgiving wall into a high-performance barrel wave during large, long-period south swells. Most days it's ideal for cutbacks and flow surfing; under the right conditions it produces some of the best lefts in Orange County. Less crowded than Lowers due to its fickleness.

Cobblestone bottomStrong currentsLong walk inCrowds on good days

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Cottons Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Cottons?
The current wave height at Cottons is 1-2ft with a 11.5s swell period. Wind is WSW at 4mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Cottons surf forecast?
Our Cottons forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends.
What is the breaking wave height at Cottons?
The current breaking wave height at Cottons is 1-2ft, produced by a 1.1ft S primary swell at 12s, a 0.5ft SSW secondary swell at 15s, a 0.5ft S tertiary swell at 3s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
When is the best time to surf Cottons?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Cottons is Thursday from 3 PM to 6 PM with 4ft waves, a 14.6s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.