Indian Head
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 8 s
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 1,275kJ
- Wind
- ESE 8 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 208kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,321kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 3,361kJ
- Wind
- S 16 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 3,349kJ
- Wind
- S 14 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 2,322kJ
- Wind
- SSW 17 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,493kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 462, good
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
- Thu 120, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best May, Sep–Oct2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Indian Head does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft13 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,275kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 62, good | 4 ft8 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 208kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft9 scrumbling11 ft at break (est.) | 1,321kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft11 smushy14 ft at break (est.) | 3,361kJ | wind from the south, 16 knots | 12°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft11 smushy14 ft at break (est.) | 3,349kJ | wind from the south, 14 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft9 smushy14 ft at break (est.) | 2,322kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 17 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft10 scrumbling14 ft at break (est.) | 2,493kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 13 ft12 smushy17 ft at break (est.) | 4,590kJ | wind from the south, 15 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 smushy12 ft at break (est.) | 2,211kJ | wind from the south, 21 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 scrumbling13 ft at break (est.) | 2,416kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 16 knots | 12°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 NovLow 00:41 −1.3 mHigh 07:29 +0.9 mLow 13:33 −0.6 mHigh 19:21 +0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:43 −1.1 mHigh 08:19 +1.1 mLow 14:39 −0.9 mHigh 20:38 +0.8 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 02:39 −1.0 mHigh 09:03 +1.2 mLow 15:33 −1.2 mHigh 21:42 +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.
Best time to go
best May, 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
- May2of 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 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 and its town
Indian Head 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Seaside Cove 4.9 km away
- Needles 7 km away
- Cannon beach 7.2 km away
- Seaside Point 7.6 km away
- Vista rights 10.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Indian Head
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (249°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (69°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 19). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in July, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, September and October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Seaside, 7.8 km away (28 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$1,190–US$2,150 each
about US$1,190–US$2,150 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 PDX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$517 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,150 |
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
18 min by car · 56 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Cannon Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Seaside on Booking.com
28 min by car · 89 places to stay
- Beds in Manzanita on Booking.com
37 min by car · 18 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 8h 20m
About 8h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PDX, direct, then 2h 15m by road
Flights MDW → PDX on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
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.