Surf in Orange County today
Orange County, California · 22 spots ranked
The Wedge is the best choice in Orange County today: overhead, 17-second swell, light offshore wind, rated fair to good.Salt Creek is close behind.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 4 November
Brooks Street is the best choice in Orange County tomorrow: overhead, 15-second swell, light offshore wind, rated fair to good.The Wedge is close behind.
Surfing in Orange County
Orange County runs from Seal Beach to San Clemente, with Trestles and San Onofre just over the San Diego County line, and its surf gets better the further south you go. The north half - Huntington, Newport - is long sandy beach with piers and jetties that shape the peaks; it works on almost anything and is where the county learns. The south half is the reason people know the name: Salt Creek's reef, and then Trestles, the most perfect cobblestone point in California and a wave the whole world tour comes to.
The daily question is whether the swell is worth the drive south to Trestles or whether the piers are better today. This page ranks the county's named spots from today's and tomorrow's forecast, using the same model as the app.
Where should a beginner surf in Orange County?
Doheny - the gentlest wave in the county, a soft point that hosts more first lessons than anywhere else in Orange County. Huntington State Beach and San Onofre's Old Man's are the next options, both sandy and forgiving.
The Wedge is not surfing in any normal sense: a backwash-driven shorebreak that puts people in hospital. Trestles is not dangerous but is crowded with people who know exactly what they are doing.
When is the best time to surf Orange County?
Summer and early autumn - June to October - is Trestles season, when south swell from the southern hemisphere lines up the point. Winter north-west swell suits Huntington and Newport, and the Santa Ana winds of autumn give the county its cleanest mornings. Water is warmest in August and September.
Common questions
Is Trestles worth it today?
The table above ranks it against the rest. Lowers needs a south or south-west swell; on a north-west winter swell the piers usually beat it.
Where should a beginner surf in Orange County?
Doheny, then Huntington State Beach or San Onofre. All soft, all sandy, all with schools.
When is the best time of year to surf Orange County?
Summer and early autumn for Trestles and south swell; autumn for offshore Santa Ana mornings; winter for the piers on north-west swell.
Is the Wedge a surf spot?
Technically, and only for experts. It is a shorebreak amplified by backwash off the jetty, and it injures people every summer.
How do I get to Lower Trestles?
Park at the San Onofre trailhead off Cristianitos Road and walk or cycle the mile-long trail down. There is no closer access.