Surf Forecasts:
Trestles (Lowers) surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW 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, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| 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
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up. We’ve got a 16-day window, but honestly, for the first week and a half, it’s gonna feel like we’re sitting on our hands. There’s a big stretch of nothing special to write home about.
We’ve got Trestles (Lowers) as our only real option to look at. The water’s sitting at a warm 72°, which is *way* warmer than usual for this time of year—we're talking much warmer than normal. That’s a nice bonus when you’re sitting out there.
Starting Tuesday afternoon, August 18th, the swell is tiny at 2ft from the SSW, but it’s got some real grunt with a 17-second period. That's a proper long-period groundswell. The problem? Cross-onshore wind and a combined energy reading of 382, which is moderate—but the overall vibe is just "poor surf conditions." Not worth paddling out for.
Wednesday the 19th into the weekend is a tough stretch. Swell hangs around 2ft to 3ft, period stays long (13–19 seconds), but the wind is all wrong. It’s mainly onshore or light cross-on, and the combined energy dips into the low hundreds. We’re looking at marginal surf at best. There’s a lot of “questionable tide conditions” chatter in the data.
The real kicker is the gap. From Tuesday the 18th all the way to the end of August, there are no legitimate standouts. The surf just isn't happening. It's a dry run.
Now, if you’re willing to wait, things start looking interesting towards the end of the month. Saturday, August 29th, we finally get a pulse. The morning shows a 4ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period, combined energy jumping to 792 (moderate to strong), and light cross-onshore wind. The afternoon is similar: 4ft at 16 seconds. This is the best on offer, but it’s still only scoring as marginal. It’s a promise, not a guarantee. The wind isn’t perfect, but it’s light enough that Trestles might get some shape out of that long-period energy. Keep an eye on it.
Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st keep some of that 4ft to 3ft SSW swell, but the period drops a bit, and the wind turns more onshore. The combined energy drops back into the 400s. It’s fishable, but not epic.
Into the first week of September, the swell fades again. Tuesday September 1st has a tiny 1ft wave with a super long 18-second period (combined energy 395) but with onshore wind. Not your day.
The second week is touch and go. Wednesday the 2nd has some bump in energy (592) with 2ft SSW swell, but again, the wind is cross-on. Nothing is screaming “drop everything and go.”
If you’re a kiter, the consistent wind and small, choppy surf on those beach-and-reef days might be more your thing than paddle surfing.
So, the takeaway? A long quiet spell, then a flicker of hope around August 29th. Don’t get your hopes up too high, but it’s something to watch. Forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 22°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
243 | 272 | 377 | 387 | 249 | 236 | 236 | 226 | 156 | 137 | 135 | 92 | 167 | 218 | 177 | 155 | 269 | 197 | 179 | 273 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | 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 | ||||||||
— | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 24 |
Feels °C | 26 | 23 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
41 | 272 | 377 | 387 | 249 | 236 | 236 | 226 | 156 | 137 | 135 | 92 | 167 | 218 | 137 | 135 | 269 | 197 | 179 | 273 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 18 | W 6 | SSW 16 | W 7 | SSW 12 | W 6 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 |
243 | 37 | 42 | 29 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 81 | 6 | 51 | 23 | 58 | 6 | 177 | 155 | 199 | 89 | 16 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 20 | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 19 | WSW 19 | S 10 | W 6 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 6 | SW 19 | W 6 | SSW 16 | WSW 5 | W 6 | SSW 12 | S 13 |
98 | 15 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 57 | 35 | 8 | 6 | 51 | 49 | 81 | 12 | 58 | 18 | 84 | 8 | 15 | 85 | 126 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 85 | 0 | 78 | 207 | 15 | 64 | 85 | 0 | 83 | 85 | 0 | 83 | 85 | 0 | 83 | 119 | 0 | 83 | 85 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Orange County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











