Townsends Inlet
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
34Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: too small (3 ft swell at 7 s), 4 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- S 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- SSW 13 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- WNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 54kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Mon 9 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 36kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 48, too small
- Thu 540, too small
- Fri 633, too small
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 836, too small
- Mon 920, too small
- Tue 109, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Townsends Inlet 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 | 8, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 40, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 33, too small | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 13 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 36kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 9, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 22 knots | 18°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 00:57 +0.5 mLow 06:57 −0.5 mHigh 13:24 +0.8 mLow 19:54 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:07 +0.6 mLow 08:09 −0.5 mHigh 14:30 +0.7 mLow 20:53 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:10 +0.6 mLow 09:16 −0.6 mHigh 15:32 +0.7 mLow 21:47 −0.6 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
- Jul1of 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 and its town
Townsends Inlet 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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Live webcam
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Live webcam
Ludlum Thorofare at Sea Isle City, 4 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- Under the Bridge 0.8 km away
- St Phillip's 1 km away
- Avalon - 9th 0r 10th 2.4 km away
- Avalon - 15th Street 2.7 km away
- Sea Isle City 48th St. 3.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Townsends Inlet
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (106°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (286°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 3.7 km out (1 in 370). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 4°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 24°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually September and October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sea Isle City, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
Water about 13°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$1,950 each
about US$1,100–US$1,950 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 PHL, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$154–US$315 |
| 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$1,950 |
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 · 3 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Avalon its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Sea Isle City on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Ocean View on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 6 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 45m
About 5h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PHL, direct, then 1h 55m by road
Flights MDW → PHL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.