Surf spot

San Onofre

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

Country: USA, California, Orange County
Coordinates: 33.3725, -117.5658

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	SCross-on	SSWCross	SSWCross	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSECross-on	SEOnshore	ESEOnshore	SCross-on	SSWCross	SSWCross	SSECross-on	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	ESEOnshore	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSECross-on	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross	SSWCross	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SEOnshore	SEGlassy	SEGlassy	SWCross	SWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WSWGlassy	SSEGlassy	SEGlassy	NGlassy	NWGlassy	WSWCross-off	WCross-off	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWGlassy	NWOffshore	NWGlassy	WOffshore	WCross-off	WCross-off	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WGlassy

San Onofre, California (Orange County), USA is a classic Southern California surf zone known for its mellow, longboard-friendly waves and laid-back vibe. Located near San Onofre State Beach, just south of San Clemente, it’s a favorite among beginner and intermediate surfers, as well as longboarders looking for smooth, peeling rights and lefts over a sandy bottom.

Wave character

Type: Beach-break and reef-affected breaks depending on the exact zone
Best for: Longboarding, beginners, cruisy open-face turns
Wave quality: Often clean and forgiving when the swell is moderate
Style: Long, gentle rides rather than heavy, hollow waves

Conditions

Swell: Works well with W to SW swells
Wind: Offshore Santa Ana winds can make it especially clean
Tide: Tidal sensitivity varies by peak, but many spots are best around mid tide
Crowds: Can get busy, especially on good south swell days

Vibe and setting

San Onofre has one of the most relaxed surf cultures in California. The area feels classic and unhurried, with a strong longboard and old-school surf community presence. The scenery is a big part of the appeal too—wide beaches, coastal bluffs, and the iconic backdrop near the old nuclear plant site and Camp Pendleton boundary.

Good to know

Access can be influenced by park rules and military boundary restrictions nearby.
It’s a great place to practice trim, cross-stepping, and traditional style surfing.
Conditions can change quickly with shifting sandbars, so checking a recent surf report is useful.