Summary
San Clemente is home to Trestles, one of California’s best and most popular surf spot. Over the years, Trestles has hosted many international and high-level surfing competitions, including some World Surf League events. In 2021, the WSL is gonna be holding its finals right here, in San Clemente.
Trestles is a very versatile surf spot as it works just as well on any swell direction. In summer, when dominant swells come from the SW, Lower Trestles is at its best. In winter, when swells are mostly generated from the North Pacific, Upper Trestles becomes the go-to spot in the area.
Therefore, San Clemente became a true surfers paradise in California and remains one of the world’s best surf town!
When to go
The best time to surf Lower Trestles, San Clemente, is in summer, for more consistent southerly swells which are optimal for Lower Trestles. In winter, northerly swells will make Upper Trestles work more consistently. Therefore, surfing is good in San Clemente throughout the whole year.
| January-February | March-April | May-June | July-August | September-October | November-December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable for: | All surfers | All surfers | All surfers | All surfers | All surfers | All surfers |
| Air temperature | 20°C 68°F | 22°C 68°F | 25°C 77°F | 30°C 86°F | 28°C 82°F | 22°C 72°F |
| Water temperature | 15°C 59°F | 16°C 61°F | 19°C 66°F | 20°C 68°F | 19°C 66°F | 17°C 63°F |
| Crowd | Very crowded | Very crowded | Very crowded | Very crowded | Very crowded | Very crowded |
| Swell Consistency | 75% | 70% | 75% | 80% | 70% | 70% |
| Swell height | 5 ft | 4 ft | 4 ft | 5 ft | 4 ft | 4 ft |
Where to stay in San Clemente
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Surf Spots near San Clemente
Lower Trestles
Wave direction : Right and left
Bottom : Reef/rocks
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : NE
Optimal wind direction : SW
Upper Trestles
Wave direction : Right and left
Bottom : Reef/rocks
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : WNW
Optimal wind direction : NE
San Clemente Pier
Wave direction : Right and left
Bottom : Sand
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : SW
Optimal wind direction : NE
Getting there
San Clemente is about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles, making it an easily accessible surfing destination, hence its popularity.