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Sunset Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
1Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft2 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 22, too small
- Tue 32, too small
- Wed 42, too small
- Thu 50, too small
- Fri 60, too small
- Sat 70, too small
- Sun 80, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 1022, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind 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
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft3 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 15 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft3 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft3 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft2 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 22, poor | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 20°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 04:26 +0.3 mLow 12:04 −0.3 mHigh 19:11 +0.1 mLow 23:54 −0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:18 +0.3 mLow 13:03 −0.2 mHigh 19:40 +0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:18 −0.1 mHigh 07:47 +0.3 mLow 13:51 −0.1 mHigh 20:08 +0.3 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
- Apr0of 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, its town, photos
Sunset Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Sunset Beach
More surf near here
5 places
- Upham Beach 2.2 km away
- Redington Breakwater 8 km away
- Indian Rocks Beach 16.2 km away
- Bellair Beach 20.7 km away
- Sand Key Park 23.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Sunset Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (246°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (66°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 6.7 km out (1 in 667). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Madeira Beach, 6.1 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 2 wind sports spots.
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: 3 towns
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
- Beds in Madeira Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 84 places to stay
- Beds in Redington Beach on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 57 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 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.