Clifton Beach
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 2 ft swell at 8 s
Mon 2 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 54kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tue 3 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- S 9 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Thu 5 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 30kJ
- Wind
- NW 13 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- SW 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- S 14 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 152, fair
- Mon 252, fair
- Tue 334, poor
- Wed 434, too small
- Thu 543, poor
- Fri 635, too small
- Sat 720, poor
- Sun 822, poor
- Mon 942, poor
- Tue 1021, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 52, fair | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 14°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 52, fair | 2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 34, poor | 2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the south, 9 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 43, poor | 2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 14°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, too small | 1 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 30kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 13 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 20, poor | 2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the south-west, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 22, poor | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the south, 14 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 42, poor | 2 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 21, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | wind from the north-east, 15 knots | 15°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 03:18 +0.2 mLow 07:25 +0.0 mHigh 13:25 +0.5 mLow 21:02 −0.7 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:00 +0.2 mLow 08:36 −0.0 mHigh 14:28 +0.5 mLow 21:51 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:39 +0.3 mLow 09:45 −0.1 mHigh 15:32 +0.4 mLow 22:37 −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
No month stands out
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
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug3of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 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
Clifton Beach 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Rebounds 6.1 km away
- Goats 6.3 km away
- Wedge 6.5 km away
- May's Point 7.7 km away
- The Blowhole 16.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Clifton Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (162°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (342°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Opossum Bay.
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$1,820–US$3,480 each
about US$1,820–US$3,480 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 HBA, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$958–US$1,990 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$355–US$596 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$234 |
| Total | about US$1,820–US$3,480 |
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
18 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About South Arm its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Opossum Bay on Booking.com
19 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Seven Mile Beach on Booking.com
25 min by car · 4 places to stay
Nearest beds: Opossum Bay, 11 km (about 20 min by car)
About US$134 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 31h 50m
About 31h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → HBA, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → HBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.