Surf spot

Church (Trestles)

Forecast conditions and map view for Church (Trestles) in USA, California, Orange County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, Orange County
Coordinates: 33.3801, -117.5799

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)	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.7	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Wave direction	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	S	SSW	SSW	W	W	W	W	W	WSW	SSW	W	W	W	W	W	WSW	W	WSW	W	W	W	W	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
Wave period (s)	11.8	11.8	11.3	11.3	11.6	10.9	11.2	10.8	5.5	4.8	5	5	6	5.8	9.5	4.8	4.8	5.7	5.7	5.5	4.9	5.5	4.9	7.2	7.3	9.9	11.2	13.6	13.2	13.3	14.8	14.6	14.3	14.2	14	13.8	13.8	13.6	13.3	13.1	13	12.7	13.7	13.5	13.2	13.4	12.5	12.3	12.2	12.1	11.9	11.8	11.8	11.7	11.3	11.2
Wave energy (kJ)	161	143	134	131	91	81	109	102	30	28	29	30	38	24	57	19	24	49	45	38	16	31	13	18	17	32	40	65	80	82	100	114	118	126	132	129	137	141	146	150	147	148	125	123	117	121	113	108	99	98	90	82	75	73	74	68
Wind speed (km/h)	10.9	10.7	10.2	14.8	14.6	10.7	4	3.7	7.6	8.5	8.4	13.7	13.6	11	5.5	7.4	10	10.6	9.4	16.7	16.9	14.1	9.8	11	8.5	7.9	6.6	12.5	13.9	12.6	4	4.8	5.4	4.6	4.1	11.3	13.4	10.4	3.4	2.3	1.5	1.8	1.3	13.5	17.5	15.5	6.8	4.8	7.1	4.3	5.5	13.4	17.7	15.7	6.8	3.3
Wind direction	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	ESECross-on	SOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SECross-on	ESECross-on	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SECross-on	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SECross-on	SEGlassy	SEGlassy	SWCross-on	SWCross	WSWCross	WSWGlassy	SSEGlassy	SEGlassy	NGlassy	NWGlassy	WSWCross	WCross	WCross-off	WNWCross-off	NWGlassy	NWOffshore	NWGlassy	WCross-off	WCross-off	WCross-off	WCross-off	WNWCross-off	WGlassy

Church (Trestles), California, USA — Surf Spot Description

Church is one of the classic breaks at Trestles, located in Orange County, Southern California, within the San Onofre State Beach area. It’s a well-known, high-quality wave that sits in the famous Trestles lineup, alongside spots like Lower Trestles, Middle, Uppers, Cottons, and Churches.

Wave type

Fast, peeling right-hander
Can also offer lefts depending on sand and swell direction, but it’s best known for its rights
Breaks over a rocky/sandy reef setup
Produces long, clean, well-shaped walls when conditions line up

What makes it special

Church is regarded as a high-performance wave
The wave is often hollow, clean, and rippable
On the right swell, it can deliver long rides with sections suitable for turns, snaps, and tube attempts
It’s part of the broader Trestles zone, which is one of the most respected surf regions in the world

Best conditions

South or southwest swell is typically favorable
Offshore winds from the northeast or east help clean up the wave
Works best with mid to higher tide, though ideal tide varies with swell size
Smaller, cleaner days can make it more manageable; larger swells can make it powerful and crowded

Skill level

Best suited for intermediate to advanced surfers
Can be challenging because the wave is fast, competitive, and often crowded
During bigger or cleaner days, it becomes a favorite for experienced surfers and pros

Crowd and atmosphere

Church is part of a world-famous surf zone, so it can get crowded quickly
The lineup tends to be competitive, with many skilled surfers in the water
Because of its reputation and consistency, it often attracts a strong local and traveling surf crowd

Access and setting

Located in a protected state beach area with a scenic coastal backdrop
Access is generally through San Onofre State Beach / Trestles area
The spot is known for its natural setting and iconic Southern California surf culture

In short

**Church at Trestles is a high-quality, fast, right-hand point/reef-style wave in Orange