3 Mile
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 smushy
- Energy
- 1,535kJ
- Wind
- S 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,306kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 275kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,059kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,866kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 971kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,262kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 241, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 531, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 41, poor | 3 ft13 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 355kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft13 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 1,535kJ | wind from the south, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft9 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,306kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 31, poor | 4 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 275kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 2,059kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 11 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2,866kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 971kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 2,262kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 702kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 1,843kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 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 05:25 +0.5 mLow 10:43 −0.1 mHigh 16:14 +0.5 mLow 23:15 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:08 +0.6 mLow 12:00 −0.3 mHigh 17:39 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:08 −0.8 mHigh 06:46 +0.7 mLow 13:02 −0.5 mHigh 18:54 +0.5 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 Nov
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
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 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
- Nov2of 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
3 Mile 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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More surf near here
5 places
- 4 Mile 0.8 km away
- Laguna Creek 4.2 km away
- Natural Bridges 5.2 km away
- Shaks 6.7 km away
- Mitchell's Cove 6.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About 3 Mile
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 intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 29). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Cruz, 7.9 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 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$1,200–US$2,170 each
about US$1,200–US$2,170 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$537 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,170 |
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 15 min by car · 84 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Santa Cruz its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Live Oak on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Capitola on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 23 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SJC, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights MDW → SJC on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.