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The Pit
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
36Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 3 ft swell at 7 s
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- S 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- S 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 81kJ
- Wind
- NNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 68kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 213, too small
- Tue 313, too small
- Wed 49, too small
- Thu 518, too small
- Fri 643, poor
- Sat 749, fair
- Sun 851, fair
- Mon 927, too small
- Tue 1013, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | offshorewind from the west, 5 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 43, poor | 4 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 49, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 81kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 51, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 68kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 13, poor | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 22 knots | 16°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 00:53 +0.5 mLow 06:53 −0.5 mHigh 13:13 +0.8 mLow 19:44 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:02 +0.6 mLow 08:04 −0.5 mHigh 14:20 +0.7 mLow 20:44 −0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:05 +0.7 mLow 09:11 −0.6 mHigh 15:22 +0.7 mLow 21:38 −0.7 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 Sep–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 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
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 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
The Pit 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 The Pit
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More surf near here
5 places
- Pavilion Ave, Long Branch 1.5 km away
- Ocean Lane, Deal 3.4 km away
- Phillips Pump House 3.4 km away
- Seven Presidents 3.5 km away
- Loch Arbor,Darlington,Deal 5.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Pit
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (103°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (283°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 33). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 24°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September and October, with about 2 good days in 7; in July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Long Branch, 2.5 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,100–US$1,960 each
about US$1,100–US$1,960 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 EWR, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$154–US$328 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,100–US$1,960 |
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
4 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Long Branch its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Deal on Booking.com
8 min by car · 6 places to stay
- Beds in Monmouth Beach on Booking.com
9 min by car · 3 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
About 5h door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → EWR, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights MDW → EWR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.