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TCs
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
48Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 10 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 108kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 187kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 220kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 193kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 89kJ
- Wind
- WNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 144kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 124, too small
- Mon 235, too small
- Tue 338, too small
- Wed 470, good
- Thu 566, good
- Fri 622, too small
- Sat 742, too small
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 920, too small
- Tue 1065, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Dec–Jan2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 107kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 108kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 38, too small | 2 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 187kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 70, good | 4 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 66, good | 4 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 193kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft14 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 42, too small | 3 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 144kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft10 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 98kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 65, good | 3 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 199kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 23°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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 03:41 +0.3 mLow 07:43 +0.1 mHigh 13:45 +0.6 mLow 21:24 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:34 +0.4 mLow 09:41 −0.1 mHigh 15:23 +0.6 mLow 22:24 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:14 +0.5 mLow 11:01 −0.3 mHigh 16:46 +0.5 mLow 23:15 −0.8 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 Dec–Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 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 Mon 2 Nov
- Dec2of 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
TCs 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 TCs
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More surf near here
5 places
- T C's 0.7 km away
- Pickles 0.9 km away
- Japs Cove 1.4 km away
- Bonzai's 1.9 km away
- cabrillo beach 3.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About TCs
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (202°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (22°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 13). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and December, with about 2 good days in 7; in August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Rancho Palos Verdes, 3.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 6 surf spots.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,090–US$1,980 each
about US$1,090–US$1,980 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 LGB, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| 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$1,090–US$1,980 |
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
7 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Rancho Palos Verdes its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Torrance on Booking.com
24 min by car · 23 places to stay
- Beds in Long Beach on Booking.com
24 min by car · 66 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 6h 45m
About 6h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → LGB, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → LGB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.