San Clemente Pier
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
41Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 3 ft swell at 12 s
Tue 3 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 279kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 121kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 100kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 97kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 83kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 61kJ
- Wind
- W 1 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- NNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 283, good
- Tue 365, good
- Wed 444, too small
- Thu 530, too small
- Fri 636, too small
- Sat 734, too small
- Sun 828, too small
- Mon 926, too small
- Tue 1027, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Apr–May3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
San Clemente Pier does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 83, good | 3 ft13 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 337kJ | offshorewind from the east, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 65, good | 3 ft12 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 279kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 44, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 121kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 100kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft13 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 97kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 61kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 24°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
- 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
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:44 +0.7 mLow 11:56 −0.5 mHigh 17:49 +0.5 mLow 23:54 −0.7 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 Apr–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
- Apr3of 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 Tue 3 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, its town, photos
San Clemente Pier 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 San Clemente Pier
More surf near here
5 places
- Linda Lane Beach 0.4 km away
- T Street 0.6 km away
- 204.0 1.1 km away
- Riviera 2 km away
- Calafia 2.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About San Clemente Pier
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (223°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (43°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 50). 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 months are usually April and 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, 1.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 11 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 mountain bike area.
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
about 5 min by car · 35 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About San Clemente its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Dana Point on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 22 places to stay
- Beds in San Onofre on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 1 place 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.