Swimming at San Clemente Beach today
San Clemente, California
Updated 1:00 AM PDT
What decides a swimming score
Water quality
Grades along this beach run from B to A+ — a spread, but not one that changes whether the water is safe to swim in.
Graded clean today
- State Beach Avenida CalafiaA+
- South Linda LaneA+
- T StreetA+
- North beach at Avenida PicoA+
4 more monitored points along this beach grade A or better.
All 11 monitoring points
| Monitoring point | Distance | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| El Portal | 0.7 km | B |
| Linda Lane Beach | 0.6 km | A+ |
| Mariposa Beach | 0.6 km | A+ |
| North beach Pico drain storm drain / pier | 1.2 km | A+ |
| Riviera Beach | 2.3 km | A+ |
| Clock Tower North | 0.7 km | A+ |
| North beach at Avenida Pico | 1.1 km | A+ |
| T Street | 1.1 km | A+ |
| Pier drain storm drain / pier | 0.9 km | A+ |
| South Linda Lane | 0.6 km | A+ |
| State Beach Avenida Calafia | 2.7 km | A+ |
Dry-weather bacterial grades from the Heal the Bay Beach Report Card, updated 2026-10-09. Grades reflect the most recent agency sampling and can change after rain.
Before you swim
Surf is running 3.9 ft today, which makes shorebreak and currents stronger than usual.
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
San Clemente Beach is also scored for
About San Clemente Beach
San Clemente Beach sits on the California coast, where the water runs from about 59°F in January to 72°F in August.
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 72°F in August and dropping to about 59°F in January.
Today it is 73°F. That is 6° above the October average of 67°F here.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station San Clemente about 1.2 km away on the open coast.
Frequently asked questions
Is San Clemente Beach good for swimming today?
Swimmable, with care — we score it 73 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is surf calmness at 3.9 ft.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at San Clemente Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 72°F in August and dropping to about 59°F in January.