Urbiztondo in San Juan, La Union, is the surf capital of northern Luzon and a beginner-friendly beach and reef break. Its mellow, peeling waves make it a natural longboard venue, and it hosts the WSL Longboard Tour's La Union Longboard Classic. It suits all levels, with surf schools lining the beach. The best season is October to March, when northeast monsoon swells arrive, with mornings offshore under easterly winds.
🌡️ ~30.2°C now · boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed
Beginner: Mar, Jul, Aug, Sep
Intermediate: Jan, Feb, Mar, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec
Advanced: not suitable for this level
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New spots, best-month tips and the local crews at Urbiztondo (San Juan). Tag us in your clips and we'll share them.
Beginner: Mar, Jul, Aug, Sep
Intermediate: Jan, Feb, Mar, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec
Advanced: not suitable for this level
All-time average wind & swell
Dashed line marks Urbiztondo (San Juan)'s known offshore direction. Bright arrow is the all-time average swell direction, colored arrow is the all-time average wind direction at 9 km/h — hover or tap either arrow for exact values.
Monthly avg wave height (ft)
Monthly avg wind speed (km/h)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 28° | 28° | 28° | 30° | 31° | 31° | 30° | 30° | 30° | 30° | 30° | 29° |
Averages from 3 years of daily wave, wind and water temperature data — what a typical year looks like, not a forecast.
Waves average 3.9 ft (1.2 m), with offshore winds around 8 km/h from the E. Water is ~28°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for intermediates.
Waves average 3.2 ft (1.0 m), with offshore winds around 9 km/h from the NE. Water is ~28°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for intermediates.
Waves average 2.5 ft (0.8 m), with cross-offshore winds around 10 km/h from the NE. Water is ~28°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for beginners and intermediates.
Waves average 1.7 ft (0.5 m), with cross-onshore winds around 10 km/h from the NW. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 1.6 ft (0.5 m), with cross-offshore winds around 9 km/h from the SE. Water is ~31°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 1.8 ft (0.5 m), with cross-offshore winds around 8 km/h from the SE. Water is ~31°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 2.9 ft (0.9 m), with cross-offshore winds around 11 km/h from the SE. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for beginners and intermediates.
Waves average 2.2 ft (0.7 m), with cross-offshore winds around 8 km/h from the SE. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for beginners.
Waves average 2.4 ft (0.7 m), with cross-offshore winds around 10 km/h from the SE. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for beginners.
Waves average 3.3 ft (1.0 m), with offshore winds around 8 km/h from the SE. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for intermediates.
Waves average 4.5 ft (1.4 m), with offshore winds around 8 km/h from the E. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for intermediates.
Waves average 4.0 ft (1.2 m), with light winds (~6 km/h). Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for intermediates.
For beginners: Mar, Jul–Sep. For intermediates: Jul, Oct–Mar. The biggest waves come in November, averaging 4.5 ft (1.4 m), and the smallest in May, at 1.6 ft (0.5 m).
It ranges from ~28°C in February to ~31°C in May, averaged over 3 years of daily readings.
Year-round (~28-31°C): boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed.
Yes. The best months for beginners are Mar, Jul–Sep, when waves average around 2.5 ft (0.8 m).
The nearest airport is CRK (limited connections), and the nearest town is San Juan, La Union. Many surfers fly into Manila (MNL) instead, about 270 km or 5 hours' drive away.
