Dawn patrol surfing in Dana Point

Dana Point, California

Sunrise and first light times for planning your dawn patrol session.

First light in Dana Point means glass, empty peaks, and the best conditions of the day before thermal onshores build. These 4 spots are worth the 5am alarm.

Sunrise

5:44 AM
First Light: 5:14 AM

Day length: 14h 21m

-1 min vs yesterday

Sunrise

5:44 AM

First light: 5:14 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Last light: 8:35 PM

Data from Doheny Beach· Updated daily

7-Day Sun Schedule

Today(Today)

Sunrise

5:44 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Day Length

14h 21m

Tomorrow

Sunrise

5:45 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Day Length

14h 21m

Wed, Jul 1

Sunrise

5:45 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Day Length

14h 21m

Thu, Jul 2

Sunrise

5:45 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Day Length

14h 20m

Fri, Jul 3

Sunrise

5:46 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Day Length

14h 20m

Sat, Jul 4

Sunrise

5:46 AM

Sunset

8:05 PM

Day Length

14h 19m

Best dawn patrol spots in Dana Point

Loading map...

Featured Beaches(4)

Doheny Beach

Beginner friendly

Doheny State Beach offers Orange County's second-easiest learning wave after San O' Dogpatch, rated 4/10 overall but 6/10 for beginners.

Doheny State Beach

Beginner friendly

Doheny State Beach offers Orange County's second-easiest learning wave after San O' Dogpatch, rated 4/10 overall but 6/10 for beginners.

Salt Creek

Beginner friendly

Salt Creek delivers 8/10 quality across three distinct sections. The Point produces extremely rippable left pointbreaks when sandbars align; Middles offers wedgy A-frames year-round; Gravels reef breaks with board-breaking power.

Strands

Beginner friendly

Strands is a beach break in Dana Point, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Dawn patrol access guide for Dana Point

Parking and access info for early morning sessions before sunrise.

Doheny Beach
beach
beginner
4.3(3)

**Doheny State Beach** offers Orange County's second-easiest learning wave after San O' Dogpatch, rated 4/10 overall but 6/10 for beginners.

Early access

Use official state-beach access and keep learners in the supervised, open sandy sections.

Parking

Use Doheny State Beach day-use parking and arrive early on weekends.

Doheny State Beach
beach
beginner
4.0(13)

**Doheny State Beach** offers Orange County's second-easiest learning wave after San O' Dogpatch, rated 4/10 overall but 6/10 for beginners.

Early access

Use official state-beach access and keep learners in the supervised, open sandy sections.

Parking

Use Doheny State Beach day-use parking and arrive early on weekends.

Salt Creek
beach
beginner-intermediate
4.1(17)

**Salt Creek** delivers 8/10 quality across three distinct sections. The Point produces extremely rippable left pointbreaks when sandbars align; Middles offers wedgy A-frames year-round; Gravels reef breaks with board-breaking power.

Strands
beach
beginner-intermediate
3.8(18)

Strands is a beach break in Dana Point, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Dawn patrol tips

  • Glassy morning conditions before onshore winds
  • Less crowded lineups at sunrise
  • East-facing beaches for sunrise views
  • Spots with easy parking for early arrivals

Surf Guides for Dana Point

Conditions

Dawn Patrol
You're here
Sunset Sessions
Evening golden hour spots
Tide Windows
Optimal tidal conditions
Water Temperature
Conditions & wetsuit guide

Style

Beginner Spots
Gentle waves for learning
Longboard Spots
Mellow waves for logging

Frequently Asked Questions

About surfing in Dana Point

Dawn patrol in Dana Point typically starts at first light, around 30 minutes before sunrise. This gives you the glassiest conditions before onshore winds develop.
Early morning offers glassy conditions, fewer crowds, and calmer winds. Water temperature is also warmer relative to air temperature at sunrise.

Make the next surf call sharper

Check the forecast, surf the session, log what happened, and help Quiver keep tuning your local calls.

Learn More

iPhone app is live. Android is coming soon.