Sand spit
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
11Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: too small (1 ft swell at 3 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NNW 13 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 215, too small
- Tue 317, too small
- Wed 414, too small
- Thu 55, too small
- Fri 63, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 86, too small
- Mon 99, too small
- Tue 1074, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–6 ftof swell
- Water 24 °Cno wetsuit
- 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 | 15, too small | 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 15 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 17, too small | 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 14, too small | 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 6, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 13 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 74, good | 2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 19°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 04:10 +0.3 mLow 12:23 −0.2 mHigh 19:58 +0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:11 +0.0 mHigh 06:30 +0.2 mLow 13:21 −0.2 mHigh 20:12 +0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:35 −0.1 mHigh 08:13 +0.2 mLow 14:07 −0.1 mHigh 20:29 +0.2 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
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 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
- 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 and its town
Sand spit 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
4 places
- Upham Beach 4.5 km away
- Sunset Beach 5.9 km away
- Redington Breakwater 12.8 km away
- Indian Rocks Beach 21 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Sand spit
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (253°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (73°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea is about 18°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 31°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7; in March, May and July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Saint Pete Beach, 4.1 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. 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$1,050–US$1,890 each
about US$1,050–US$1,890 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 TPA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$181–US$382 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$80–US$127 |
| 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$1,050–US$1,890 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Saint Pete Beach
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 77 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Saint Pete Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
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 25m
About 5h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → TPA, direct, then 55 min by road
Flights MDW → TPA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.