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Popham - Read
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
41Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 3 ft swell at 7 s, 4 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- SW 16 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Fri 6 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sat 7 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- NNE 18 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 92kJ
- Wind
- NW 13 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Mon 9 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 68kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 26, too small
- Tue 314, too small
- Wed 47, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 653, fair
- Sat 738, too small
- Sun 863, good
- Mon 944, too small
- Tue 1026, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 10 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best Jan, Sep–Nov1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft9 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the south-west, 13 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft8 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the south-west, 16 knots | 15°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 38, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 18 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 63, good | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 13 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 44, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 68kJ | offshorewind from the north, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 10°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 04:23 +1.3 mLow 10:25 −1.3 mHigh 16:44 +1.5 mLow 23:08 −1.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:28 +1.3 mLow 11:34 −1.3 mHigh 17:52 +1.4 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:11 −1.4 mHigh 06:31 +1.4 mLow 12:41 −1.4 mHigh 18:58 +1.4 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 Jan, Sep–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 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
- Aug0of 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
- Dec0of 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
Popham - Read on Google Maps · Directions
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.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Popham - Read
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Popham - Read
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (163°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (343°). It is exposed 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 1.0 km out (1 in 102). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, September, October and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sebasco.
Water about 10°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$1,070–US$1,900 each
about US$1,070–US$1,900 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 PWM, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$174–US$362 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$100–US$161 |
| 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$1,070–US$1,900 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Sebasco
about 15 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Sebasco its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Sebasco, 6 km (about 15 min by car)
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 5h 20m
About 5h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PWM, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → PWM on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.