3 Mile
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 9 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,556kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tue 3 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 1,248kJ
- Wind
- SW 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,141kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 424kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,783kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,957kJ
- Wind
- SE 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 848kJ
- Wind
- ENE 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 126, too small
- Mon 252, fair
- Tue 351, fair
- Wed 462, good
- Thu 541, poor
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 775, good
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 977, good
- Tue 1070, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 26, too small | 3 ft13 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 52, fair | 6 ft16 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,556kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 51, fair | 8 ft11 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 1,248kJ | wind from the south-west, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 62, good | 8 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 1,141kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 41, poor | 6 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 424kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 9 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 1,783kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 75, good | 9 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,957kJ | wind from the south-east, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 7 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 848kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 77, good | 8 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 1,386kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 70, good | 7 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 898kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:35 +0.4 mLow 09:07 +0.0 mHigh 14:46 +0.7 mLow 22:17 −1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:25 +0.5 mLow 10:43 −0.1 mHigh 16:14 +0.5 mLow 23:15 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:08 +0.6 mLow 12:00 −0.3 mHigh 17:39 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
3 Mile on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- 4 Mile 0.8 km away
- Laguna Creek 4.2 km away
- Natural Bridges 5.2 km away
- Shaks 6.7 km away
- Mitchell's Cove 6.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About 3 Mile
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (210°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (30°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Cruz, 7.9 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$536 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,170 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
14 min by car · 84 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Santa Cruz its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Live Oak on Booking.com
22 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Capitola on Booking.com
26 min by car · 23 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SJC, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → SJC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.