Surf: Excellent lefthand walls off the backside of San Mateo Point can get sizeable during solid S and SW swells. A great cobblestone summer wave. Can be fast and somewhat hollow; crowded when it’s on. Needs a larger swell to work, and the wave ends in gnarly shorepound. Medium tide preferred. An easy paddling channel follows the northern breakline. Directions: Access is by walking north from Trestles or south from San Clemente State Park. Environment: Located in front of President Nixon’s old estate. Access is by walking north from Trestles or south from San Clemente State Park. Surf: General: Cottons Point, the lefthander at the north end of the Trestles beaches, is a long, often-fat left that breaks further off the beach than any of the other nearby spots. Depending on sand buildup and the tide, the wave typically offers a rather flat face that's perfect for cutbacks. However, if there's a large, long-period, southerly swell and a minus low tide, Cottons turns into a quality high-performance wave, complete with a crackable lip-line and multiple barrel sections before unloading into the menacing shorebreak. Cottons is a pretty cool novelty wave, as well as a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of Uppers and Lowers. Tides: low Size: shoulder high to double overhead Wind: E, ESE Swell: S, SW Bottom: Sand and cobblestone Paddling: Pretty mellow but the paddle back up the point gets long on a solid S swell. Spot Rating: Wobbly, sectiony, cutback city most swells, but with a solid S swell and negative low tide it can get pretty good. Access: San Onofre State Park; or walk, run, crawl, roll, bike, e-bike, skate, back flip down the trail after parking off the Cristianitos exit. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Generally packed, especially on weekends. Local Vibe: Hungry with insatiable longboarders, but overall, mostly cordial. Environment: Typically ok but gets dicey after a rain. Hazards: Car rip-offs, beach backpack rip-offs, getting caught by a speeding train on the trestle, rattlesnakes in the lineup after a rain. Season: Best March-October, but it works year-round .