Orange County, California
Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3+ft on SW swell at 8s with light SSE winds.
Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3+ft on SW swell at 8s with light SSE winds.
Best window·Sunday 12PM–3PM·8-9ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Cottons, Orange County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3+ft, 11s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 2-3+ft waves on SW swell at 9s with light SSE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Fri, Sep 4: 4–5ft, 18s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on SSW swell at 18s with gentle ENE breeze. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Sat, Sep 5: 6–7ft, 15s period, rated Fair - Good. Midday is the call — 4-5ft waves with gentle W breeze and fair - good conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Sun, Sep 6: 7–9ft, 14s period, rated Good. First light looks cleanest — 7-8ft on S swell at 14s with gentle NW breeze. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Mon, Sep 7: 7–8ft, 13s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 7-8ft on S swell at 13s with gentle NW breeze. Onshore flow builds through the day to 12mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor - Fair today — get one free email when Cottons turns Good.
Check Cottons from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
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.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Cottons is 2-3+ft with a 5.6s swell period. Wind is SSE at 6mph. Conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Cottons is 2-3+ft, produced by a 2.1ft W wind swell swell at 6s, a 1.9ft SSW secondary swell at 11s, a 1.2ft SSW tertiary swell at 16s. 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.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Cottons is Sunday from 12 PM to 3 PM with 8ft waves, a 13.8s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Cottons works best with a S swell and NE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Cottons. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Cottons is a point with a cobblestone bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. 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.
The prime season at Cottons is summer, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Cottons include cobblestone bottom, strong currents, long walk in, crowds on good days. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
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. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
