Church (Trestles)
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
52Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 4 ft swell at 12 s
Mon 2 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 352kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 275kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 78kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 101kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- NW 1 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 158, fair
- Mon 284, good
- Tue 366, good
- Wed 446, fair
- Thu 532, too small
- Fri 636, too small
- Sat 735, too small
- Sun 823, too small
- Mon 924, too small
- Tue 1032, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in May3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 58, fair | 4 ft13 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 392kJ | offshorewind from the north, 4 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 84, good | 4 ft12 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 352kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 275kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 46, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 78kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 101kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 57kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 75kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 23°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 03:34 +0.3 mLow 07:40 +0.1 mHigh 13:41 +0.6 mLow 21:20 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:28 +0.4 mLow 09:40 −0.1 mHigh 15:19 +0.6 mLow 22:21 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:08 +0.6 mLow 10:59 −0.3 mHigh 16:42 +0.5 mLow 23:12 −0.8 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in May
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Church (Trestles) on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- San Onofre 0.6 km away
- Trestles 1.4 km away
- Upper Trestles 1.5 km away
- Churches Point 2 km away
- Cottons 2.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Church (Trestles)
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (217°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (37°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 63). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually May, with about 3 good days in 7; in February and November, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Clemente, 6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,120–US$2,030 each
about US$1,120–US$2,030 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SNA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$80–US$134 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,120–US$2,030 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
6 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About San Onofre its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in San Clemente on Booking.com
11 min by car · 35 places to stay
- Beds in Dana Point on Booking.com
26 min by car · 22 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 10m
About 7h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SNA, direct, then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → SNA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.