South Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (2 ft swell at 8 s)
Tue 3 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- ENE 12 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 9kJ
- Wind
- E 10 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- NNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 211, too small
- Tue 312, too small
- Wed 414, too small
- Thu 58, too small
- Fri 617, too small
- Sat 79, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 1019, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Sep1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the east, 10 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft7 s1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft7 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 25°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 01:40 +0.4 mLow 07:56 −0.4 mHigh 14:24 +0.4 mLow 20:36 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:52 +0.4 mLow 09:03 −0.3 mHigh 15:25 +0.4 mLow 21:37 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:59 +0.4 mLow 10:05 −0.3 mHigh 16:21 +0.4 mLow 22:32 −0.4 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 in Sep
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
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 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
South Beach 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of South Beach
.jpg){kind=link}
More surf near here
1 place
- south point boardwalk 2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About South Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (96°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (276°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Miami Beach, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 3 wind sports spots and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 27°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$1,030–US$1,860 each
about US$1,030–US$1,860 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 MIA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$201–US$415 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$60 |
| 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$1,030–US$1,860 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Miami Beach
3 min by car · 403 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Miami 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 30m
About 5h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MIA, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → MIA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.