Church Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Ideal Surf Conditions
Swell Direction
S, SW, W, WNW
Wind
E, NE
Surf Height
Shoulder high to double overhead.
Tide
Medium-high.
Church Surf Guide
Church is the furthest spot south in the Trestles arena. Also a rivermouth, Church is pretty much good year-round, but prefers a W swell with medium-high tides to produce long, down-the-line rights with some hollow sections. S swells have multiple takeoff zones but a big SW can get all-time.
LOCAL RESOURCES:
South OC Surfrider
| Bring Back Our Beaches | San Clemente Boardriders Club
LINEUP TIPS:
Etiquette | Surf Safety Basics
Ability Level
All Abilities
Beginner to advanced.
Local Vibe
Doable
Reasonably cordial.
Crowd Factor
Moderate
Can get packed, but not compared to Lowers.
Spot Rating
Fun
Reeling, lined-up righthand pointbreak under the proper conditions.
Shoulder Burn
Medium
Pretty mellow but the paddle back up the point gets long on a solid W swell.
Water Quality
Fair
Typically pretty clean, although the San Onofre Creek can unload after a rain.
Hazards
Car rip-offs, beach backpack rip-offs, getting caught by a speeding train on the trestle, rattlesnakes in the lineup after a rain.
Bring Your
Shortboard, Fish, Funboard, Longboard, Bodyboard
Access
San Onofre State Park; or walk, run, crawl, roll, bike, e-bike, skate, back flip down the trail after parking off the Cristianitos exit. Or via Camp Pendleton.
Bottom
Sand, rivermouth rock.
Best Season
Works year-round.
Do you have local knowledge about Church?
If you have any insights or information to add to this spot guide, drop us a note at [email protected]