Garth's Reef
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
73Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 11 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,426kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Wed 4 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 718kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Thu 5 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 972kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Fri 6 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 3,535kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sat 7 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 3,535kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sun 8 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,298kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Mon 9 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 2,377kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 279, good
- Tue 375, good
- Wed 452, fair
- Thu 576, good
- Fri 682, good
- Sat 781, good
- Sun 866, good
- Mon 943, poor
- Tue 1022, poor
- Wed 1122, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 8 ft14 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 2,281kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 75, good | 7 ft13 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 1,426kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 52, fair | 6 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 718kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 76, good | 7 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 972kJ | offshorewind from the north, 4 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 82, good | 11 ft12 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 3,535kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 81, good | 12 ft12 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 3,535kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 66, good | 11 ft11 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 2,298kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 43, poor | 11 ft11 smushy9 ft at break (est.) | 2,377kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 22, poor | 13 ft12 smushy11 ft at break (est.) | 4,232kJ | wind from the south, 23 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 22, poor | 12 ft10 smushy10 ft at break (est.) | 2,263kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 15 knots | 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 06:09 +0.6 mLow 11:40 −0.2 mHigh 17:16 +0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:08 −1.1 mHigh 07:01 +0.7 mLow 12:58 −0.5 mHigh 18:43 +0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:07 −1.0 mHigh 07:46 +0.8 mLow 14:02 −0.7 mHigh 20:01 +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.
Map
the spot and its town
Garth's Reef on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Point Saint George 1.7 km away
- Whaler Island 5.9 km away
- Lake Talawa 6.6 km away
- Crescent City South Beach 6.9 km away
- Pelican Beach 7.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Garth's Reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (213°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (33°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 53). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Crescent City, 4.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,210–US$2,180 each
about US$1,210–US$2,180 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 ACV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DEN, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$262–US$543 |
| 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$1,210–US$2,180 |
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 10 min by car · 35 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Crescent City its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Smith River on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Brookings on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 27 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 11h 30m
About 11h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ACV, changing at Denver International Airport (DEN), then 1h 45m by road
Flights MDW → ACV 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.