Highcliffe
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
3Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (1 ft swell at 5 s), onshore wind, 14 kn (27 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 15 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Mon 9 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 12 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 25, too small
- Tue 32, too small
- Wed 43, too small
- Thu 55, too small
- Fri 63, too small
- Sat 72, too small
- Sun 82, too small
- Mon 92, too small
- Tue 1032, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Highcliffe 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 | 5, too small | 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft8 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft6 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 6 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 01:21 +0.3 mLow 03:09 +0.2 mHigh 05:08 +0.3 mLow 09:13 −0.3 mHigh 13:24 +0.4 mLow 21:48 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:06 +0.4 mLow 10:20 −0.4 mHigh 14:44 +0.3 mLow 16:14 +0.3 mHigh 17:53 +0.3 mLow 22:50 −0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:54 +0.5 mLow 11:21 −0.5 mHigh 18:47 +0.4 mLow 23:46 −0.8 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, its town, photos
Highcliffe 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 Highcliffe
More surf near here
4 places
- Southbourne 5.7 km away
- Boscombe Pier 9.8 km away
- Bournemouth Pier 12.1 km away
- Bournemouth 12.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Highcliffe
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (177°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (357°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 3.0 km out (1 in 303). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is New Milton, 3.5 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 13°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
about 10 min by car · 24 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About New Milton its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Bournemouth on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 266 places to stay
- Beds in Kimmeridge on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 5 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 45m
About 14h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LHR, direct, then 2h 25m by road
Flights ORD → LHR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.