Capistrano Beach

Capistrano Beach is an SW-facing beach break in Dana Point, California, United States. It picks up swell from SSE to S and S to SW, and land, islands, reefs or shallow banks block about 64% of the directions it faces. Offshore wind here blows from the NE: light winds or NE breezes usually mean the cleanest surf, while SW onshores chop it up.

Rare slot: a Channel Islands gap lets in swell from 249° (WSW) and nothing either side. It only lines up when a storm sits in that exact direction, more than 96 km out. How slot swells work

Rare slot: the San Pedro Channel lets in swell from 279° (W) and nothing either side. It only lines up when a storm sits in that exact direction, more than 228 km out. How slot swells work

Break

Beach

Faces

SW (216°)

Best swell

S to SW (188°–221°) or S (176°–186°), 9 s or longer

Best wind

N to E offshore, or glassy

Best surf height

3–6 ft at the beach

Swell window

SSE to S (160.5° to 186°); S to SW (188° to 221°)

Rare slot

Channel Islands gap, 249° WSW

Rare slot

San Pedro Channel, 279° W

Offshore wind

NE

Tide

NOAA station TWC0419

Wave buoy

Capistrano Beach Nearshore, CA (284) · 1 km away

Cams

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