Doheny
South-facing beachbreak at the mouth of San Juan Creek in Dana Point. Sand and cobble bottom shaped by the Dana Point headland to the west. The iconic Orange County beginner and longboard wave.
Spot intel
Parking
$15 day-use at Doheny State Beach off the 5 at the Pacific Coast Highway exit. Free metered parking on Del Obispo Street north of the park. Rocks expose along the inside on low tide.
Crowd
Thick across the day, thickest on south-swell weekends. Longboard and SUP presence runs heavy. Surf schools work the inside.
Beginner-friendly?
Yes.
Sand-and-cobble bottom, slow wave shape, lifeguarded beach inside a state park. The catches are weekend density and rocks on the inside at low tide, not the wave.
Lineup etiquette
At a longboard-heavy break, priority extends further back along the shoulder than at a shortboard wave. Paddling inside an active takeoff is the standard call-out.
When it's on
South through southwest groundswell with light offshore wind from the northeast through east. Mid-tide window — the inside cleans up off the low.
When beginners can paddle out
Knee-high to chest-high on the incoming mid-tide window with light morning wind. Watch the inside cobble at the bottom of the tide.
Where it breaks
- Coordinates
- 33.4610, -117.6810
- Shore faces
- SSW
- 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 Doheny ships in the app.
Other South OC spots
- Lowers · Famous spot
- San Onofre · Famous + beginner-friendly
- T-Street · Famous spot
- Salt Creek · Famous spot