City Pier
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- ENE 12 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- SSE 9 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Thu 5 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft2 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 344, poor
- Wed 432, poor
- Thu 544, poor
- Fri 622, too small
- Sat 78, too small
- Sun 87, too small
- Mon 915, too small
- Tue 106, too small
- Wed 113, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–5 ftof swell
- Water 23 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 44, poor | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 32, poor | 3 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 44, poor | 1 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 22, too small | 1 ft2 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 8, too small | under 1 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 15, too small | 1 ft3 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 22°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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:32 +0.2 mLow 14:39 −0.0 mHigh 19:54 +0.0 mLow 22:53 +0.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 07:26 +0.1 mLow 12:46 +0.0 mHigh 19:34 +0.1 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 01:27 −0.0 mHigh 09:11 +0.1 mLow 11:59 +0.1 mHigh 19:26 +0.1 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 Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
City Pier 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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Photos of City Pier
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More surf near here
2 places
- St. Andrews State Park 16.4 km away
- The Pass(Amazons) 16.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About City Pier
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (211°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (31°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 52). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 17°C in February, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Panama City Beach, 7.6 km away (11 min by car).
Water about 23°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$1,000–US$1,790 each
about US$1,000–US$1,790 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to ECP, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$168–US$342 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$67 |
| 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$1,000–US$1,790 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
11 min by car · 169 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Panama City its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Panama City Beach on Booking.com
11 min by car · 169 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 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ECP, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → ECP 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.