Surf spot

Trestles

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

Country: USA, California, Orange County
Coordinates: 33.3828, -117.5887

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	SECross-on	SEOnshore	SOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	ESECross-on	SOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SEOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SECross-on	SEGlassy	SEGlassy	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWCross	WSWGlassy	SSEGlassy	SEGlassy	NGlassy	NWGlassy	WSWCross	WCross	WCross-off	WNWCross-off	NWGlassy	NWOffshore	NWGlassy	WCross-off	WCross	WCross	WCross-off	WNWCross-off	WGlassy

Trestles is one of Southern California’s most famous surf spots, located near the southern Orange County/San Diego County line, inside San Onofre State Beach. It’s known for its high-quality, consistent waves and is considered a benchmark surf break in the U.S.

Quick overview

Location: Coastal Orange County, California, near San Clemente
Type of break: Multiple reef/point breaks
Wave quality: Excellent, often long and well-formed
Crowd level: Usually busy, especially when conditions are good
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, though some peaks can be more forgiving

What makes it special

Trestles actually refers to a set of breaks, commonly including: - Upper Trestles - Lower Trestles - Middle Trestles - The Church - Cottons

The most famous section is Lower Trestles, often called “Lowers,” which is known for its fast, rippable, high-performance waves—ideal for modern shortboarding. The wave tends to peel in a very clean, predictable way, which is why it has hosted major surf contests.

Wave conditions

Best swell: South and southwest swells
Best wind: Light offshore winds, often from the northeast
Tide: Works across a range of tides depending on the section
Bottom: Reef and cobblestone, producing clean, lined-up waves

Surf style

Trestles is famous for maneuver surfing rather than heavy barrels. Expect: - Clean faces - Fast sections - Lots of turns and aerial opportunities - Long rides when conditions line up

Atmosphere

The vibe is classic California surf culture: energetic, competitive, and often crowded. Because the waves are so consistently good, it draws everyone from local chargers to top professionals.