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Birdhits, United States

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

Also within 20 km of San Clemente

All 31 on San Clemente's map

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

San Clemente CA Photo Don Ramey Logan
San Clemente, the nearest town, 7 km away. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Birdhits

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

The spot faces SW (221°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (41°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. 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 San Clemente, 6.9 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf 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 10 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. 55 min from the airport to Birdhits.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in San ClementeAd

    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 San Clemente · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Clemente · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Birdhits on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct613 ft13 s352kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct684 ft13 s418kJ23°C
Tue 20Oct644 ft12 s345kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct533 ft11 s243kJ21°C
Thu 22Oct463 ft10 s151kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct463 ft7 s73kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct372 ft12 s136kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct312 ft12 s99kJ24°C
Mon 26Oct262 ft12 s78kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct211 ft11 s39kJ22°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. 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 55 min by road. About 7h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Trestles

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Calafia

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Trestles

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (10 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Churches Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 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 55 min by road. About 7h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 15 spots near San Clemente each day: 204.0, Birdhits, Calafia, Church (Trestles), Churches Point, Cottons, Linda Lane Beach, Lost Winds, Riviera, San Clemente Pier, San Onofre, State park, T Street, Trestles, Upper Trestles.

The trip from San Clemente, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £950–£1,730 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£55–£95
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£950–£1,730

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

Places to eat near San Clemente

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.