San Clemente State Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what San Clemente State Park has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is sitting at about 67.5°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Good news for the thin wetsuit crew.

Right off the bat, the pattern for the next week or so is pretty subdued. We've got a long, drawn-out run of marginal to poor conditions that kicks off Tuesday the 7th. The morning of the 7th offers the best shot in this first stretch, with a clean 3.6ft SSW groundswell and a very long 18-second period pushing in, and the wind is light and onshore. The combined swell energy is moderate, reading 837, so there’s some push there. It's a beginner-friendly spot and it's consistent, so a longboard could be fun, but the rating suggests it's not going to blow you away. The crowds can be an issue here sometimes, so expect company.

From Tuesday afternoon through Saturday morning the 11th, conditions get choppy with cross-onshore winds or poor surf. The swell ticks down a notch, and the forecast is pretty much a write-off for anything decent. We then slide into a few more days of knee-to-waist high leftovers, with the morning of Monday the 13th seeing a glimmer of hope. On Monday afternoon the 13th we get a real standout. The wind goes glassy, the swell is small at 2.3ft from the S with a 13-second period, and the energy is weak at 360. It's small, but glassy conditions at a consistent, beginner-friendly break are a rare treat. That afternoon window is the pick of the entire outlook.

After that, the surf drops right off. From Tuesday the 14th all the way through to Friday the 18th, we are looking at tiny, weak, and mostly messy waves. There’s a gap of several days here where there's nothing worthwhile. Energy readings drop into the 100s and low 200s, which tells you the ocean is flat.

Then, on Saturday morning the 18th, we see a slight pulse of new 2.6ft SW swell with a long 18-second period and onshore wind. The energy picks up to a moderate 514. It's marginal but a step up from the flat spell. The afternoon of the 18th also looks marginal, with lighter wind. The rest of the second week, from Sunday the 19th onward, looks average at best, with cross-onshore wind and weak, short-period swell. Nothing to get excited about, but the consistency of the break means it can turn around quickly.

So, if you're paddling out, make it Monday the 13th in the afternoon for the glass. Otherwise, keep your expectations low.

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