Orange County Area Beaches: rip current risk and surf forecast
Rip current risk today: Low. Life-threatening rip currents are not expected, but they can still form near groins, jetties, reefs and piers. Swim near a lifeguard.
Surf 1 to 3 feet, water 72 to 75 degrees. Buoy 46285, 13 mi out, measured 73 °F water and 2.0 ft waves. Sunset 6:49 PM.
- Rip current risk
- LowToday
- Surf
- 1 to 3 feetForecast
- Water
- 72 to 75 degreesForecast
- Sunset
- 6:49 PMPDT
Rip current risk on the map
Today’s rip current risk in every surf zone the National Weather Service forecasts for over Orange County Area Beaches. Open it for the live map, where it pans and zooms.
Open the live map with rip current risk
Map layer from NOAA National Weather Service surf zone forecasts. Boundaries from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
Alerts in force
No beach hazards statement, high surf advisory or other warning is in force for Orange County Area Beaches. Those are the products a coastal office issues when the water turns dangerous. When one is issued it appears here and on the alerts page for this area.
Today and tomorrow
From the National Weather Service beach forecast, issued 1219 PM PDT, 9/21/2026.
Today This afternoon through tuesday
Low rip current risk
- Rip current risk
- Low
- Surf
- 1 to 3 feet
- Water temperature
- 72 to 75 degrees
- Thunderstorms
- None expected
Tomorrow Wednesday
Low rip current risk
- Rip current risk
- Low
- Surf
- 1 to 3 feet. Sets to 4 feet
- Thunderstorms
- None expected
The surf zone forecast, period by period
Orange County Coastal Areas. Issued 12:19 PM PDT on Mon, Sep 21 by the National Weather Service in San Diego.
This afternoon through tuesday
- Rip Current Risk
- Low
- Surf Height
- 1 to 3 feet
- Thunderstorm Potential
- None expected
- Water Temperature
- 72 to 75 degrees
- Tides, Newport Beach
- Low 0.2 feet (MLLW) 01:44 AM PDT. High 4.2 feet (MLLW) 08:13 AM PDT. Low 2.2 feet (MLLW) 01:24 PM PDT. High 5.3 feet (MLLW) 07:19 PM PDT
- Remarks
- Mixed south swell from 190 degrees and west swell from 270 degrees
Wednesday
- Rip Current Risk
- Low
- Surf Height
- 1 to 3 feet. Sets to 4 feet
- Thunderstorm Potential
- None expected
- Tides, Newport Beach
- Low 0.1 feet (MLLW) 02:09 AM PDT. High 4.5 feet (MLLW) 08:29 AM PDT. Low 1.7 feet (MLLW) 01:56 PM PDT. High 5.5 feet (MLLW) 07:55 PM PDT
- Remarks
- Mixed south swell from 200 degrees and west swell from 270 degrees
The office's notes on this forecast
Rip Current Risks: * Low Risk - Life threatening rip currents are unlikely but still could occur. * Moderate Risk - Life threatening rip currents are possible. * High Risk - Life threatening rip currents are likely.
The product as issued
FZUS56 KSGX 211919
SRFSGX
Surf Zone Forecast
National Weather Service San Diego CA
1219 PM PDT Mon Sep 21 2026
CAZ552-221030-
Orange County Coastal Areas-
1219 PM PDT Mon Sep 21 2026
.THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY...
Rip Current Risk*.............Low.
Surf Height...................1 to 3 feet.
Thunderstorm Potential........None expected.
Water Temperature.............72 to 75 degrees.
Tides.........................
Newport Beach.........Low 0.2 feet (MLLW) 01:44 AM PDT.
High 4.2 feet (MLLW) 08:13 AM PDT.
Low 2.2 feet (MLLW) 01:24 PM PDT.
High 5.3 feet (MLLW) 07:19 PM PDT.
Remarks.......................Mixed south swell from 190 degrees and west swell from 270 degrees.
.WEDNESDAY...
Rip Current Risk*.............Low.
Surf Height...................1 to 3 feet. Sets to 4 feet.
Thunderstorm Potential........None expected.
Tides.........................
Newport Beach.........Low 0.1 feet (MLLW) 02:09 AM PDT.
High 4.5 feet (MLLW) 08:29 AM PDT.
Low 1.7 feet (MLLW) 01:56 PM PDT.
High 5.5 feet (MLLW) 07:55 PM PDT.
Remarks.......................Mixed south swell from 200 degrees and west swell from 270 degrees.
&&
Rip Current Risks:
* Low Risk - Life threatening rip currents are unlikely but still could occur.
* Moderate Risk - Life threatening rip currents are possible.
* High Risk - Life threatening rip currents are likely.
$$
CAZ043-221030-
San Diego County Coastal Areas-
1219 PM PDT Mon Sep 21 2026
.THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY...
Rip Current Risk*.............Low.
Surf Height...................1 to 3 feet. Sets to 4 feet on Tuesday.
Thunderstorm Potential........None expected.
Water Temperature.............68 to 77 degrees.
Tides.........................
La Jolla..............Low 0.3 feet (MLLW) 01:39 AM PDT.
High 4.1 feet (MLLW) 08:12 AM PDT.
Low 2.3 feet (MLLW) 01:19 PM PDT.
High 5.2 feet (MLLW) 07:15 PM PDT.
Remarks.......................Mixed west swell from 280 degrees and southwest swell from 230 degrees.
.WEDNESDAY...
Rip Current Risk*.............Low.
Surf Height...................1 to 3 feet. Sets to 4 feet.
Thunderstorm Potential........None expected.
Tides.........................
La Jolla..............Low 0.2 feet (MLLW) 02:05 AM PDT.
High 4.4 feet (MLLW) 08:27 AM PDT.
Low 1.8 feet (MLLW) 01:52 PM PDT.
High 5.4 feet (MLLW) 07:51 PM PDT.
Remarks.......................Mixed west swell from 270 degrees and southwest swell from 220 degrees.
&&
Rip Current Risks:
* Low Risk - Life threatening rip currents are unlikely but still could occur.
* Moderate Risk - Life threatening rip currents are possible.
* High Risk - Life threatening rip currents are likely.
$$The water now, measured
Buoy 46285, Capistrano Beach Nearshore, CA (284), 13 mi away, reported 3:26 PM.
- Waves
- 2.0 ft at 17 seconds
- Water temperature
- 73 °F
From NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. Wave height is the significant height, the average of the highest third; the largest waves run half again as high. Offshore buoys read bigger than the surf at the beach.
Tides today
Newport Bay Entrance, Corona del Mar, 4.1 mi away. Feet above mean lower low water.
- Low tide1:14 AM0.5 ft
- High tide8:01 AM4.0 ft
- Low tide12:50 PM2.7 ft
- High tide6:39 PM5.1 ft
Low tide often exposes the sandbars and channels that shape rip currents, and the risk can run higher for an hour or two either side of it. Full tide table for Newport Bay Entrance, Corona del Mar.
Sun and daylight
- Sunrise today
- 6:39 AM
- Sunset today
- 6:49 PM
- Sunrise tomorrow
- 6:40 AM
- Sunset tomorrow
- 6:48 PM
Times are Pacific Daylight Time. Lifeguards are off duty outside posted hours, and the rip current risk does not fall with the light.
What this means
The three levels the National Weather Service issues, and what to do at each.
| High | Life-threatening rip currents are likely. The surf zone is dangerous for swimmers of every level. Stay out of the water. |
|---|---|
| Moderate | Life-threatening rip currents are possible. Swim near a lifeguard, and follow the beach patrol and its flags. |
| Low | Life-threatening rip currents are not expected, but they can still form near groins, jetties, reefs and piers. Swim near a lifeguard. |
If a rip current carries you out
- Do not fight the current. It pulls you away from the beach, not under the water.
- Stay calm and keep your head above water. Float or tread water until the pull eases.
- Swim parallel to the beach, along the shore, until you are out of the current, then angle in toward the beach.
- If you cannot escape, face the shore, wave your arms and call for help.
- If someone else is caught, do not go in after them. Get a lifeguard, call 911, and throw them something that floats.
Thunderstorms and lightning
No thunderstorms are in the forecast today. Water and open sand leave you the tallest thing around. When thunder roars, go indoors: leave the water and the beach for a building or a hard-topped vehicle, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back.
A rip current is a narrow stream of water flowing away from the beach, through the surf and past the breakers. It pulls swimmers out, not under. Rip current and lightning safety guidance from the National Weather Service.
Nearby
The stretches of shore the National Weather Service forecasts on either side of this one.
More for this place
Sources
Rip current risk, surf, water temperature and UV from the National Weather Service surf zone forecast and beach forecast, office SGX, issued 1219 PM PDT, 9/21/2026. Original at NWS. Waves and water temperature measured by NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS. Alerts from the National Weather Service for zone CAZ552.