San Clemente and the South Orange County coast are bracing for an unusually powerful El Niño event this winter, raising concerns about potential coastal erosion and elevated sea levels. While powerful storms can bring memorable swells for surfers, reports indicate this year’s El Niño could also send a "massive pulse of unusually warm water" – known as a Kelvin wave – toward California, posing significant challenges to local infrastructure and beaches.
Unlike visible surf waves, a Kelvin wave is a large-scale movement of warm water that can alter ocean temperatures, suppress the normal upwelling of colder water, and temporarily raise sea levels along the coast. Reports show a Kelvin wave reached the northern coast of South America in late August and may ultimately affect California. In a strong event, elevated ocean temperatures and thermal expansion could lead to sea levels remaining unusually high for an extended period. With the coastline already having taken a beating from recent hurricane swells, another winter of powerful surf combined with high sea levels could put additional pressure on beaches, bluffs, and local infrastructure, which are constant concerns for residents and commuters. The situation presents a strange proposition for the surf community, mixing anticipation for big waves with a healthy dose of concern for potential land impacts. For now, San Clemente residents are enduring hot weather and monitoring forecasts for the approaching winter season.
On a positive note for surf culture enthusiasts, the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center (SHACC), a longtime institution with roots in San Clemente, officially opened its permanent museum in downtown Laguna Beach in September. After more than two decades of collecting and preserving surf history, SHACC now welcomes visitors to its new location at 232 Ocean Avenue, just steps from Main Beach. The organization, founded in 2000, spent years headquartered in San Clemente, near the offices of The Surfer’s Journal and eBodyboarding, becoming an important repository for surf history.
The new Laguna Beach location gives SHACC a more public-facing home for what it describes as the world's largest publicly accessible archive of surf culture. The museum officially debuted with a grand opening weekend beginning on September 18. Co-founders Dick Metz, who was named honorary chairman, and Spencer Croul led a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a traditional Hawaiian blessing. The weekend concluded with a fundraising gala featuring live music from Donavon Frankenreiter, presentations, and auctions. For San Clemente, SHACC’s departure feels bittersweet, acknowledging its long presence in the local surf landscape, but recognizing this new chapter allows its collection to be experienced by more people. Admission to the museum is free, with regular hours Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though hours may be modified for special events.
Closer to home, two professional surfers with deep San Clemente connections recently shared their reflections on competing at the iconic Lower Trestles. San Clemente residents Griffin Colapinto and Caroline Marks took a walk down the familiar trail toward Lowers as part of a Lexus edit filmed around the Lexus Trestles Pro, discussing what the break has meant to their careers.
For Colapinto, Lowers is inseparable from his upbringing as a competitive surfer in San Clemente. He recalled winning the VQS 16-and-under division there as a favorite memory, believing it was his first contest where he earned prize money. Despite a career that has taken him globally and placed him in world-title contention, Colapinto stated he still feels "the best is yet to come here" at his home break, as he continues to chase his first world title. Marks, on the other hand, immediately pointed to her world title win at Trestles as one of the best moments of her career. She remembered her friends and family, and even Colapinto's friends and family, cheering for her during that pivotal event. This exchange highlights the unique nature of Lowers, which, despite its international prestige, remains a hometown arena where the community often rallies behind local surfers.
