Upper Trestles • Surf Spot Statistics

Upper Trestles is a wave into consistency. Facing the deep blue Pacific through an SSW-aligned beach, it gathers energy from nearly every swell window in the Pacific basin: North Pacific storms in winter and Southern Hemisphere groundswells in summer. The yearly average still hovers around 3ft (1.0m), with periods that rarely drop out of the low-teens, which means the wave quality is almost always better than the size suggests. The controlling factor is wind, and that is where the seasons split.

Best Surf Season (November - February)

The North Pacific takes center stage as the Aleutian Low strengthens and the storm track dips toward California. Average swell heights hold around 3-3.5ft (1.0-1.1m), but the period stays healthy in the 12-13 second range and offshore wind frequency peaks at 46-59%. N to ENE winds groom the SSW-facing banks into clean, rippable lines while W and WSW groundswells wrap through the point. Water temps sit between 14-16°C, rain increases with passing fronts, but the trade-off is the most consistent excellence of the year.

Fair Surf Season (March - April, September - October)

These shoulder months are all about transitions. March and April still carry solid W/WSW winter swell at 3.5ft (1.1m) with long periods, but spring onshore winds take control, and ideal wind drops from 31% down to 22%. Meanwhile, September and October mark the reverse transition: Southern Hemisphere and early North Pacific swells combine with a return of N/NNE offshore flow, pushing ideal wind back up to 22-35%. Quality can be excellent, but it needs the right weather window.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

Summer puts Trestles in the classic Southern California pattern: consistent long-period SW/SSW groundswell, but a persistent thermal low pumps WSW sea breezes almost every afternoon. Ideal wind bottoms out at 9-13% between May and July, and average heights sit around 3-3.5ft (0.9-1.1m). The swell direction is perfect for the break, but the surface quickly becomes lumpy. Dawn patrol, eddy-wind events, or a stray hurricane swell are the only hopes for world-class Lowers during this stretch.