Surf spot

36th street

Forecast conditions and map view for 36th street in USA, California, Orange County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, Orange County
Coordinates: 33.6152, -117.9372

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.9	1	1.2	1.2	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7
Wave direction	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	SSW	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	W
Wave period (s)	12	10	9.8	9.6	9.4	9.3	9.2	9.2	4.7	5	5.3	5.5	5.7	6	6	6	6.1	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.1	6	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.5	6.5	6.5	6.4	6.2	6.3	6.3	7.4	11.8	13.9	13.8	13	13.6	13.4	13.3	12.9	12.7	12.1	11.8	11.4	11.3	11.3	11.2	11.1	12.2	11.8	11.8	12.1	12.1	5.2
Wave energy (kJ)	125	87	79	80	73	66	60	60	22	38	48	46	46	55	63	77	104	102	83	70	62	55	47	44	43	52	60	57	49	40	33	31	26	34	87	122	129	138	142	138	144	145	141	135	138	136	134	131	129	120	107	94	87	98	91	23
Wind speed (km/h)	10.1	8.9	10.7	14.4	15.9	12.2	9	8.6	8.3	6.9	5.7	10.6	15.2	12.2	9	9.6	11.5	12.1	11.4	16.6	20.7	18.7	14.6	12.6	15.6	10.4	7.9	12.4	16.5	15	9.8	7.1	5.4	3.3	3.4	9.5	14.3	13.3	9.2	6.4	4.8	3.1	4.3	9.3	15.1	16.1	9.4	5.8	6.2	4.7	2.9	8.3	15	13.5	8.7	7
Wind direction	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SGlassy	SSWGlassy	SSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWGlassy	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore

36th Street (Newport Beach, Orange County, California) is a classic South Bay–style beachbreak in the Newport Peninsula area, known for its fun, accessible waves and crowded local lineup.

Surf overview

Wave type: Predominantly beachbreak
Best for: Beginners to advanced surfers, depending on swell size
Crowd level: Usually busy, especially on good swell days and weekends
Best conditions:
South to southwest swells in summer/fall
Northwest swells in winter can also produce surf
Low to mid tide often works well, though it can vary
Wind: Most favorable with light offshore morning winds; onshore winds tend to make it messy

What the wave is like

36th Street usually offers peaky, shifting waves that can produce short, playful rights and lefts. Because it’s a sand-bottom beachbreak, the shape changes frequently with sandbars and seasonal storm patterns. On smaller days it’s a good spot for longboarding, funboards, and learning. On larger swells, it can get more powerful and occasionally punchy.

Hazards / considerations

Strong crowds and local etiquette
Rip currents and shifting sandbars
Can be fast and hollow on bigger swells
Parking and access can be competitive in the Newport Peninsula area

Overall vibe

36th Street is a reliable, versatile, and crowded neighborhood surf break that can deliver fun, clean beachbreak surf when the sandbars line up. It’s especially popular because it’s easy to access and can work across a range of swell sizes.