Pelican Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 5 ft swell at 10 s
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,606kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Wed 4 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 442kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 783kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,646kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 3,382kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 761kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,546kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 430, poor
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
Pelican Beach 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 | 0, too big | 7 ft15 ssoft12 ft at break (est.) | 2,386kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft13 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,606kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 30, poor | 5 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 442kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 783kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 14°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 ssoft14 ft at break (est.) | 2,646kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft12 ssoft15 ft at break (est.) | 3,382kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 761kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 14°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft10 ssoft12 ft at break (est.) | 1,546kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,384kJ | wind from the south, 16 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
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 intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 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 and its town
Pelican 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
- Lake Talawa 0.8 km away
- Point Saint George 6.1 km away
- Garth's Reef 7.3 km away
- Whaler Island 11.2 km away
- Crescent City South Beach 11.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Pelican Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (278°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (98°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 5.9 km out (1 in 588). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Crescent City, 9.6 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,210–US$2,180 each
about US$1,210–US$2,180 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 MDW to ACV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DEN, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$261–US$543 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,210–US$2,180 |
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 20 min by car · 35 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Crescent City its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Smith River on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Brookings on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 27 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 11h 30m
About 11h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ACV, changing at Denver International Airport (DEN), then 1h 45m by road
Flights MDW → ACV on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.