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
Local Vibe
Reasonably cordial.
Crowd Factor
Can get packed, but not compared to Lowers.
Spot Rating
Reeling, lined-up righthand pointbreak under the proper conditions.
Shoulder Burn
Pretty mellow but the paddle back up the point gets long on a solid W swell.
Water Quality
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.
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]