Rockpiles
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
79Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 2 ft swell at 12 s
Mon 2 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 25kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tue 3 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 256kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 137kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 80 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 90kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 88 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 88kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 74kJ
- Wind
- SW 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 61kJ
- Wind
- W 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 130, poor
- Mon 257, fair
- Tue 366, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 580, good
- Fri 688, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 971, good
- Tue 1078, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–6 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Nov6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 30, poor | 3 ft13 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 57, fair | 2 ft6 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 256kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 2 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 137kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 80, good | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 90kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 88, good | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 88kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 74kJ | wind from the south-west, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 61kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 71, good | 1 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 2 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 27°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 03:37 +0.3 mLow 07:41 +0.1 mHigh 13:42 +0.6 mLow 21:22 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:31 +0.4 mLow 09:41 −0.1 mHigh 15:20 +0.6 mLow 22:23 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:11 +0.5 mLow 11:00 −0.3 mHigh 16:43 +0.5 mLow 23:14 −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 Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec5of 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, its town, photos
Rockpiles on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Rockpiles
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More surf near here
5 places
- Sleepy Hollow 0.6 km away
- Agate st. 1.1 km away
- Thaila Street 1.1 km away
- Oak street 1.2 km away
- Brooks Street 1.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Rockpiles
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (218°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (38°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 19). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best month is usually November, with about 6 good days in 7; in April and May, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Laguna Beach, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 10 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.
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$1,080–US$1,960 each
about US$1,080–US$1,960 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$40–US$60 |
| 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$1,080–US$1,960 |
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
1 min by car · 49 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Laguna Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Corona Del Mar on Booking.com
18 min by car · 13 places to stay
- Beds in Newport Beach on Booking.com
19 min by car · 33 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 6h 50m
About 6h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SNA, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SNA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.