City Pier
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
22Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 2 ft swell at 5 s, onshore wind, 14 kn (26 km/h)
Tue 3 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- E 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Thu 5 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- WNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft2 smushy
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- WNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 265, good
- Tue 342, poor
- Wed 418, poor
- Thu 537, poor
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 77, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 95, too small
- Tue 1029, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–5 ftof swell
- Water 23 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 65, good | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 42, poor | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 18, poor | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 37, poor | 1 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 10 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft2 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 11 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 29, poor | 1 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 16°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 02:03 +0.2 mLow 14:00 −0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:32 +0.2 mLow 14:39 −0.0 mHigh 19:54 +0.0 mLow 22:53 +0.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 07:26 +0.1 mLow 12:46 +0.0 mHigh 19:34 +0.1 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 Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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, its town, photos
City Pier 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.
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Photos of City Pier
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More surf near here
2 places
- St. Andrews State Park 16.4 km away
- The Pass(Amazons) 16.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About City Pier
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (211°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (31°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 52). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 17°C in February, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Panama City Beach, 7.6 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 23°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$998–US$1,790 each
about US$998–US$1,790 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
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to ECP, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$167–US$342 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$67 |
| 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$998–US$1,790 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
about 15 min by car · 169 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Panama City its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Panama City Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 169 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 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ECP, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → ECP on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.