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Strands, United States

Stay in Dana Point: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Dana Point

All 37 on Dana Point's map

Watch this spot We email you when Strands is worth the trip.

Dana Point a city in southern Orange County CA Photo Don Ramey Logan
Dana Point, the nearest town, 2 km away. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Strands

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (232°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (52°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 27). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually October and November, with about 6 good days in 7; in April and May, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Dana Point, 1.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SNA, direct.

    See flights ORD → SNA · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Strands.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Dana PointAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Dana Point · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Dana Point · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Strands on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct613 ft13 shollow352kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct674 ft13 shollow418kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct624 ft12 shollow345kJ25°C
Wed 21Oct533 ft12 shollow264kJ24°C
Thu 22Oct483 ft12 shollow247kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct433 ft7 smushy73kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct392 ft12 shollow136kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct312 ft12 shollow99kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct232 ft12 shollow78kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct191 ft11 shollow39kJ20°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SNA, then 50 min by road. About 7h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Doheny

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Dana Point

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Doheny

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Salt Creek : Gravels

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SNA, then 50 min by road. About 7h door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Dana Point each day: Dana Point, Doheny, Salt Creek : Gravels, Salt Creek Heroins, Salt Creek- Middles, Salt Creek Point, Strands.

The trip from Dana Point, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £940–£1,715 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SNA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£215–£445
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£45–£80
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£940–£1,715

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Dana Point

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.