Uppers
High-performance cobblestone-and-sand right and left at the north end of San Mateo Point in San Clemente. A long, rippable wall that draws the broad South County swell window.
Spot intel
Parking
Cristianitos exit off the 5, then a roughly 20-minute walk down the access trail from the San Onofre State Beach lot. Day-use parking fee.
Crowd
Thick and skilled. One of the most contested lineups in California. Shortboard-dominated, with a rotation that rewards the deepest paddler.
Beginner-friendly?
No.
A long walk in, a fast performance wall, and a packed lineup with zero patience for missed positioning. Not a beginner wave.
Lineup etiquette
Priority on a point goes to the deepest rider. Dropping in on a wave already underway from the peak is the standard call-out.
When it's on
South through southwest swell with light wind from the northeast through east. Mid-tide window.
Where it breaks
- Coordinates
- 33.3890, -117.5940
- Shore faces
- SW
- Region
- South OC, California
Launching summer 2026.
Six-tier verdicts for every California break, calibrated to swell, period, direction, tide, and wind. One email when Uppers ships in the app.
Other South OC spots
- Lowers · Famous spot
- Doheny · Famous + beginner-friendly
- San Onofre · Famous + beginner-friendly
- T-Street · Famous spot
- Salt Creek · Famous spot