south beach
Surf spot · Sri Lanka
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 197kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 209kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Thu 5 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 165kJ
- Wind
- NE 0 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 186kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 182kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 130kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 107kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 275, good
- Tue 379, good
- Wed 479, good
- Thu 576, good
- Fri 655, fair
- Sat 755, fair
- Sun 852, fair
- Mon 939, too small
- Tue 1029, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Feb, Dec6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
south 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 | 75, good | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 179kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 1 knot, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 79, good | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 197kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 79, good | 4 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 209kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 76, good | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 0 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 55, fair | 2 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 186kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 182kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 52, fair | 2 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 130kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 39, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 107kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 29°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 06:06 +0.1 mLow 13:04 −0.1 mHigh 21:04 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 01:42 −0.1 mHigh 09:14 +0.0 mLow 15:58 −0.1 mHigh 23:10 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:48 −0.1 mHigh 11:07 +0.1 mLow 17:20 −0.1 mHigh 23:58 +0.1 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 Feb, Dec
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 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
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 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
south 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
- Koggala Lefts 1.6 km away
- LAMANA POINT 3.4 km away
- The Rock 4 km away
- Midigama Right 5.6 km away
- Midigama 6.2 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 S (198°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (18°). 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 1.3 km out (1 in 128). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February and December, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Welhengoda, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 29°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$1,140–US$2,280 each
about US$1,140–US$2,280 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 ORD to KCT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DXB and CMB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$904–US$1,880 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$80–US$141 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$94–US$167 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$40–US$67 |
| Total | about US$1,140–US$2,280 |
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 5 min by car · 97 places to stay
about US$33/nightcountry average
About Welhengoda its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Koggala on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 27 places to stay
- Beds in Ahangama on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 118 places to stay
About US$33 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 31h
About 31h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KCT, changing at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → KCT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.