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Betsy Jukofsky Xeriscape Garden - 004
Hilton Head Island, the nearest town, 1 km away. Photo: Town of Hilton Head Island, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Burkes beach - Hilton Head Island

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

39Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Wed 4: 3 ft swell at 6 s

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 34 out of 100

Swell
3 ft6 s
Energy
72kJ
Wind
NE 12 kn
Temp
22°C

Tue 3 · 43 out of 100

Swell
3 ft6 s
Energy
72kJ
Wind
NNE 10 kn
Temp
25°C

Wed 4 · 48 out of 100

Swell
3 ft6 s
Energy
58kJ
Wind
E 6 kn
Temp
25°C

Thu 5 · 41 out of 100

Swell
2 ft6 s
Energy
39kJ
Wind
WSW 4 kn
Temp
25°C

Fri 6 · 38 out of 100

Swell
2 ft7 s
Energy
47kJ
Wind
WSW 3 kn
Temp
26°C

Sat 7 · 26 out of 100

Swell
2 ft7 s
Energy
25kJ
Wind
NNW 5 kn
Temp
23°C

Sun 8 · 22 out of 100

Swell
1 ft7 s
Energy
20kJ
Wind
NNE 2 kn
Temp
24°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 130, poor
  2. Mon 234, poor
  3. Tue 343, poor
  4. Wed 448, fair
  5. Thu 541, too small
  6. Fri 638, too small
  7. Sat 726, too small
  8. Sun 822, too small
  9. Mon 916, too small
  10. Tue 1016, too small

The spot in six facts

  • Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
  • Offshore: NWwind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 2–9 ftof swell
  • Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
  • Best Nov–Jan1 good days in 7

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Burkes beach - Hilton Head Island, each day
DayScore for intermediatesSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov30, poor3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.)72kJwind from the north-east, 12 knots23°C
Mon 2Nov34, poor3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.)72kJwind from the north-east, 12 knots22°C
Tue 3Nov43, poor3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.)72kJwind from the north-north-east, 10 knots25°C
Wed 4Nov48, fair3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.)58kJwind from the east, 6 knots25°C
Thu 5Nov41, too small2 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.)39kJwind from the west-south-west, 4 knots25°C
Fri 6Nov38, too small2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.)47kJwind from the west-south-west, 3 knots26°C
Sat 7Nov26, too small2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)25kJwind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore23°C
Sun 8Nov22, too small1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)20kJwind from the north-north-east, 2 knots24°C
Mon 9Nov16, too small1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)15kJwind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore21°C
Tue 10Nov16, too small1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.)14kJwind from the west-north-west, 11 knots, offshore17°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 00:10 +0.8 mLow 06:21 −1.0 mHigh 12:46 +1.2 mLow 19:14 −0.9 m
  • Mon 2 NovHigh 01:19 +0.8 mLow 07:31 −0.9 mHigh 13:52 +1.1 mLow 20:17 −0.9 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 02:27 +0.9 mLow 08:39 −0.9 mHigh 14:56 +1.1 mLow 21:15 −1.0 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

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: 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

2 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Burkes beach - Hilton Head Island

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces SE (133°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (313°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 13°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hilton Head Island, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$971–US$1,760 each

about US$971–US$1,760 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to HHH, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bagabout US$161–US$342
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$20–US$33
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout US$971–US$1,760

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Hilton Head Island

Closest

Hilton Head Island

3 min by car · 72 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 72 places to stay in Hilton Head Island · Booking.com

About Hilton Head Island its beds, food and every spot near it

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 4h 45m

About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → HHH, direct, then 30 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.