Tidal River
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
46Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 4 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 212kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tue 3 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 198kJ
- Wind
- SSW 6 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Wed 4 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Thu 5 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 266kJ
- Wind
- W 18 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 260kJ
- Wind
- WNW 18 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 291kJ
- Wind
- SW 17 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 240kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 116, too small
- Mon 257, fair
- Tue 355, fair
- Wed 422, too small
- Thu 518, poor
- Fri 635, poor
- Sat 723, poor
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 943, too small
- Tue 1028, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
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 | 16, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the west, 13 knots | 14°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 57, fair | 4 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 212kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft10 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 198kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 6 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 15°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 18, poor | 4 ft9 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 266kJ | wind from the west, 18 knots | 13°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, poor | 4 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 260kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 18 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 23, poor | 4 ft11 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 291kJ | wind from the south-west, 17 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 4 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 240kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 43, too small | 3 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 114kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 05:09 +1.5 mLow 11:02 −0.8 mHigh 16:53 +1.1 mLow 23:10 −1.6 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:53 +1.4 mLow 11:48 −0.8 mHigh 17:43 +1.1 mLow 23:59 −1.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:39 +1.3 mLow 12:37 −0.8 mHigh 18:38 +1.0 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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- 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
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Tidal River 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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Photos of Tidal River
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tidal River
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (210°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (30°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 75). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Wilsons Promontory Campgrounds, Tidal River, 0 km. Nearest beds: Foster, 43 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Melbourne Moorabbin Airport (MBW), 158 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 15°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$1,570–US$3,070 each
about US$1,570–US$3,070 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$958–US$2,000 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$147–US$241 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$234 |
| Total | about US$1,570–US$3,070 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 43 km away
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Wilsons Promontory Campgrounds, Tidal River, 0 km. Nearest beds: Foster, 43 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Melbourne Moorabbin Airport (MBW), 158 km.
See places to stay near Foster, 43 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 31h 35m
About 31h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MEL, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 3h 45m by road
Flights MDW → MEL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.