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Lower Trestles - Break Data
Surf spot travel photo of Trestles
Description
At the edge of Orange County's suburbia nightmare lies the Trestles experience -- one-and-a-half miles of God's country. No metered parking. No Ruby's Diner at the end of the pier. No blackballs, closeouts, volleyball nets or "Baywatch" sets -- simply put, Trestles is one of those destinations that just about any devoted surfer finds hard to resist.

What makes it so irresistible? Obviously, the 100-yard lefts and rights -- which make even the most mundane surfer feel like Kelly Slater -- has something to do with it. But the complete Trestles experience offers so much more than a few tail-drifting off-the-lips. If you time it right, you can catch a bobcat or deer darting through the spindly brush and oak trees, looking for dinner or a drink in the nearby San Mateo Creek. There's the chance of getting caught with your pants down on the trestle -- clutching your surfboard to your thumping chest as the Amtrak train bears down on you. There's the guest book, a string of wax graffiti on the quarter-mile asphalt path that help break up the walk with entries such as "Team Buttream" and "Eat My Stick". Finally, there are the long, hot summer days watching the world's best pull maneuvers at Lowers that -- up until then -- were only confined to the highlight reels of the newest surf video.

Trestles is a fresh breath of air within the folds of the suffocating Orange Curtain. With so many breaks in the area serving fast-food-type waves, it's nice to know that there's a spot that still requires a little effort. Surprisingly enough, the effort to get there doesn't keep enough people away. Trestles is always crowded during summer, particularly at Lowers. And the rest of the breaks -- Uppers, Cotton's, Church and everywhere in between -- have their share of hungry waveriders. Still, it's possible to get your share of quality waves; the kind where you hit the lip a half dozen times and start to think you're much better than you really are. All of the breaks at Trestles have that magic -- the ability to keep you coming back making the 20-minute walks, dodging the train and the surfers, to score that one ego-boosting wave.
-- Blair Mathieson 		Best Tide:
Medium-low to medium-high
Best Swell Direction:
S, SW; also W, WNW for Uppers and Church
Best Size:
shoulder high to double overhead
Best Wind:
E, NE
Perfect-O-Meter:
7-9 (1=Lake Erie; 10=Jeffreys Bay)
Bottom:
sand, rivermouth rock
Ability Level:
average to above average
Bring Your:
funboard, shortboard, longboard, water, lunch, booties, Nixon mask
Best Season:
year-round
Access:
San Onofre State Park; or walk, run, crawl, roll, bike, sk8, back flip down the trail after parking off the Cristianitos exit.
Crowd Factor:
Lowers and Uppers are a zoo, sometimes crowded even at night. Elsewhere is moderate, but can also be a zoo.
Local Vibe:
hungry, aggressive, competitive, but mostly cordial. Greedy longboarders can be a problem.
Bicep Burn:
8 (1=1ft Waikiki; 10=15ft Ocean Beach)
Poo Patrol:
1-8, it can get messy when it rains (1=clean; 10=turds in the lineup)
Hazards:
Car rip-offs, beach backpack rip-offs, getting caught by a speeding train on the trestle, rattlesnakes in the lineup after a rain, riding a longboard at Lowers
Places To Eat
For quick eats, go to Pedro's Tacos (2313 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente). It's the locals' favorite pit stop. Bean and cheese burritos are thick and gooey and cheap. Fish tacos are from another planet. Don't have to wait too long to get it, either. Carls Jr. is right next to the Trestles parking lot. It may not be healthy and it may not be authentic, but it puts those hunger pangs to sleep.

If you have time to spare, try Sonny's Pizza (429 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949-498-2540). It's top-rate Italian food that would make Don Corleone cry in his linguini for the Motherland. Or Thai Pavilion (211 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949-492-1750) for authentic and delicious Thai food. Try the pad Thai dish with tofu. Super-long waits on Friday and Saturday nights, but worth it. Fisherman's Restaurant (611 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, 949-498-6390) is good, too. Great place to bring a date, watch the waves, sunset and eat clam chowder under the cozy heat lamps on San Clemente Pier. And for the best Mexican food in town, stop by El Patio (34226 Doheny Park Rd, Capistrano Beach, 949-496-9074). One problem, though: they close shop early and on weird holidays. Call ahead!
Places To Stay
San Mateo campground. Exit Cristianitos, go left and follow your nose till you see the campground on the right. Kind of an older folks campground, with Winnebagos and grandma and grandpa playing bridge from sunrise till dusk. If you want the younger crew, camp out at San Onofre campground, just past good old San O'. Summer nights provide plenty of booze, teenagers and fun. For both campsite reservations call 800-444-7275. Eighteen bucks a night camping on Friday and Saturday.

The Beachcomber Motel, which overlooks the south side of San Clemente Pier. Great location for strolling on the beaches and walking up the main San Clemente strip, which features markets every Sunday (949-492-5457).

Quality Suites Hotel ($80-$120/night; 949-366-1000)

Or try
Things To Do
Go for a walk along the pier, beaches, streets -- San Clemente is the antithesis of Huntington Beach. Sleepy, beautiful and uncrowded, it was even rated as one of the top five beach cities in the United States by Men's Journal. San Clemente Pier and Avenida del Mar are two great places to go for a stroll. If you cross the train tracks just at the southern end of T Street, there is a dirt pathway that winds all the way down to Uppers. Great trail for jogging, mountain biking or wandering aimlessly.



If fresh air isn't your thing, take a tour of the San Onofre Power Plant. Call the power plant to schedule your visit to the busty reactors that could wipe out all Southern California surf breaks -- if it went Chernobyl.



If history's your thing, check out the old Mission in San Juan Capistrano. OK, it's a tourist trap. But it's an interesting look into the area's past. Five bucks for adults. Guided tours are available. Watch out for the bird shit. For more info, call 949-248-2048.
Surf Shops
All in San Clemente:

B.C. Surfing Design, 222 N. El Camino Real, 949-498-9085

Brad's Foam Shop, 209 Calle de los Molinos, 949-361-2203

Byrning Spears Surfboards, 1321 Calle Valle Suite A, 949-369-5739

Dev Surfboards, 207 Calle de los Molinos, 949-366-0703

Dewey Weber Surfboards, 1321 Calle Valle, 949-366-6398

K O Surfboards Fiberglassing, 207 Calle de los Molinos, 949-492-4993

Kaysen Surf Designs, 216 Calle de los Molinos, 949-492-4132

Lost Surfboards, 147 Los Obreros Lane, 949-492-2566

Mc Elroy Surfboards, 136 1/2 Calle de los Molinos, 949-492-2253

Midget Smith, 209 Calle de los Molinos, 949-361-9283

Paskowitz Family Surf Camp, 164 W. Avenida Ramona, 949-361-9283

Rick James Surfboards, 1755 N. El Camino Real, 949-492-2566

Rip Curl Surf Center, 3801 S. El Camino Real, 949-498-4920

Rocky Surf and Sport, 100 S. El Camino Real, 949-361-2946

San Clemente Surf CO, 1755 N. El Camino Real, 949-492-5721

San Clemente Surfboards, 2209 1/2 S. El Camino Real, 949-361-5885

Stewart Surfboard Manufacturer, 2102 S. El Camino Real, 949-492-1085

Surf More Products Manufacturing, 250 Calle Pintoresco, 949-492-0753

Surfboards by Travis, 1522 Calle Valle, 949-366-9262

T. Patterson Surfboards, 1425 Los Obreros Lane, 949-366-2022

Worldcore, 151 Avenida del Mar, 949-492-6355
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