Birling gap
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: too small (1 ft swell at 3 s)
Tue 3 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- NNE 17 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ENE 21 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ENE 16 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Mon 9 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- E 18 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 212, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 43, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 65, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 105, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Birling gap does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft5 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 16 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft5 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 17 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 21 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north, 4 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east, 18 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the south-west, 12 knots | 14°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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:11 +2.1 mLow 10:40 −1.8 mHigh 16:42 +1.9 mLow 23:20 −1.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:26 +1.9 mLow 12:07 −1.7 mHigh 18:00 +1.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:43 −1.9 mHigh 06:43 +2.0 mLow 13:24 −1.9 mHigh 19:15 +1.9 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Birling gap on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
3 places
- Eastbourne 6.5 km away
- Tidemills 10.5 km away
- Bexhill 22.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Birling gap
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (200°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (20°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 53). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Eastbourne, 6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 mountain bike area.
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$1,320–US$2,440 each
about US$1,320–US$2,440 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 ORD to LHR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$449–US$925 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about US$1,320–US$2,440 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 152 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Eastbourne its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Seaford on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 12 places to stay
- Beds in Bexhill on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 29 places to stay
About US$107 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 14h 20m
About 14h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LHR, direct, then 1h 55m by road
Flights ORD → LHR on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.