Trestles (Lowers) Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.38° N 117.58° W

Trestles (Lowers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Trestles (Lowers) sea temperature is
21.9° C
2.1° 

Trestles (Lowers) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Trestles (Lowers) surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 387 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period with SSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Trestles (Lowers) this week:

The surf forecast for Trestles (Lowers) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Trestles (Lowers) in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Wed 19th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 15s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 24th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 18s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 19th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Trestles (Lowers) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've gotta be straight with you—this next sixteen days at Trestles (Lowers) is a real test of patience. We're looking at a long, drawn-out run of pretty small, marginal surf. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The pattern from Wednesday 19 August through to the end of the month is all about those small, long-period south swells. They're coming in around 2ft to 4ft, but that's where the good news starts and ends. The wind is mostly a light cross-onshore breeze, which is not ideal for getting that clean face. It's not a total washout, but we're looking at a lot of "marginal" and "poor" surf conditions day after day. The combined energy is weak to moderate, mostly in the 200 to 400 range (436), which tells you the ocean just isn't packing much punch.

The real killer is the period. We're seeing swells with periods of 13 to 19 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell. For a beach and reef setup like Trestles, that long period can make the waves break a bit too straight, and the long gaps between sets mean you'll be doing a lot of sitting and waiting. The consistency is very consistent, but unfortunately, it's consistent in being small.

Thursday 20 August is a good example of the struggle: 3ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period, but the wind is a gentle cross-onshore breeze, making it fairly choppy. Not worth paddling out for. Friday 21 August to Sunday 23 August is more of the same—tiny waves, mostly onshore or cross-onshore wind. The weekend of 22 and 23 August is particularly poor, with heights dropping to 2ft and combined energy as low as 186. It's a total write-off.

We do have a slight lift in energy around Saturday 29 August to Sunday 30 August. The swell picks up to 3ft, and the combined energy climbs to 677 (Saturday morning) and 709 (Saturday afternoon). That's the most interesting window in the whole forecast. The swell direction is still SSW, and the wind is a light breeze, though it's still cross-onshore. It's marginal, but it's the best of a bad lot. The period is 15-16 seconds, so again, long-period groundswell, but at least there's a bit more push.

Monday 31 August onwards sees the swell drop back down, and we're back to the same story. By Tuesday 1 September, we get a weird 4ft swell from the west with a very short period of 8 seconds, but the combined energy is only 343, and it's marked as poor surf conditions. It's a mess.

So, if you're absolutely desperate, the standout is the weekend of 29 and 30 August. The swell is a touch bigger, and the conditions are marginal rather than poor. But honestly, this is a stretch that's more for the dedicated soul surfer than anyone looking for a good session. For beginners, the swell is small enough, but the conditions are so poor it's not worth it. For the advanced crew, the lack of quality and size is just frustrating. If the wind was offshore, it'd be a different story, but it's not.

There's a nine-day gap of poor to marginal conditions in the middle of the forecast period, from 21 August right through to 29 August, with almost nothing worth paddling out for. The only flicker of hope is that the consistency is very consistent, so the patterns can shift, and the forecasts can change. But based on what I'm seeing now, it's a tough run.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 23°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
1
1
0
1
2
1
1
2
0
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.4
SW
18
0.6
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
14
0.5
SW
19
0.5
SW
18
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.7
SW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
272
377
387
249
236
236
226
156
137
135
92
167
218
177
155
273
197
179
273
Wind (km/h)
5
W
10
WSW
10
WSW
5
SSE
15
S
10
SSW
5
S
10
SW
10
WSW
0
SW
10
WSW
10
W
5
WSW
10
WSW
15
W
0
WNW
10
WSW
20
WNW
5
SSE
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
2:46AM0.87m
2:22PM1.40m
3:41PM1.37m
8:16AM0.98m
5:05PM1.40m
8:13AM1.05m
6:07PM1.49m
8:24AM1.11m
6:54PM1.59m
8:38AM1.17m
7:31PM1.68m
Low Tide
8:50PM0.46m
6:55AM0.73m
10:43PM0.43m
00:16AM0.32m
9:51AM0.97m
1:08AM0.21m
11:54AM0.93m
1:45AM0.11m
12:49PM0.84m
2:15AM0.03m
1:27PM0.73m
2:41AM-0.02m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:31
7:30
7:29
7:28
7:27
7:25
 mm
Temp °C
22
25
26
23
25
25
23
26
26
24
27
26
24
27
27
24
27
27
23
Feels °C
23
26
26
25
26
26
25
27
27
26
28
26
26
28
26
26
27
26
25
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Trestles (Lowers) Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Trestles (Lowers) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Trestles (Lowers) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Trestles (Lowers) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Trestles (Lowers)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Trestles (Lowers) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Trestles (Lowers) is 6 km (4 miles) from San Clemente. If you plan a vacation in Orange County, look for hotels and other accommodation in San Clemente. San Clemente has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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