.jpg){kind=link}
Cliffs
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
42Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 8 s, 3 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 58kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Wed 4 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 51kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- SW 2 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 83kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 55kJ
- Wind
- NNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- WNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 219, poor
- Tue 322, poor
- Wed 447, fair
- Thu 532, too small
- Fri 646, fair
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 836, too small
- Mon 935, too small
- Tue 1026, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
Cliffs 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 | 19, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | wind from the north-east, 15 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 22, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 23°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 46, fair | 2 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | offshorewind from the west, 5 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft8 s4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 17°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 01:04 +0.7 mLow 07:09 −0.7 mHigh 13:36 +0.9 mLow 19:59 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:12 +0.7 mLow 08:18 −0.7 mHigh 14:39 +0.9 mLow 20:57 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:14 +0.8 mLow 09:23 −0.7 mHigh 15:38 +0.8 mLow 21:51 −0.8 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Cliffs 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
4 places
- Berts Bar 4.2 km away
- The Washout 7.9 km away
- Folly Beach 9.3 km away
- Folly Beach Pier 10.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Cliffs
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (126°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (306°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 13°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Charleston, 9.1 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 19°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$1,810 each
about US$1,000–US$1,810 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 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to CHS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$335 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$54–US$94 |
| 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$1,000–US$1,810 |
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 20 min by car · 175 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Charleston its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Folly Beach on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 40 places to stay
- Beds in Kiawah Island on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 15 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 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CHS, direct, then 45 min by road
Flights MDW → CHS 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.