Jug Handle State Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
0Poor out of 100 for your dates
Every day scores the same
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,542kJ
- Wind
- SE 9 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,127kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 700kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,557kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 3,852kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 941kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 2,725kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- 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
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Jug Handle State Beach 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 | 0, too big | 6 ft16 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 1,721kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft12 scrumbling10 ft at break (est.) | 1,542kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft9 scrumbling11 ft at break (est.) | 1,127kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 700kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 15°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft12 scrumbling13 ft at break (est.) | 2,557kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft12 scrumbling15 ft at break (est.) | 3,852kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.) | 941kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 11 ft11 scrumbling14 ft at break (est.) | 2,725kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft12 scrumbling15 ft at break (est.) | 3,751kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft10 scrumbling12 ft at break (est.) | 1,551kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 16 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 05:51 +0.6 mLow 11:17 −0.1 mHigh 16:49 +0.6 mLow 23:46 −1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:39 +0.7 mLow 12:34 −0.4 mHigh 18:14 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:42 −0.8 mHigh 07:20 +0.8 mLow 13:36 −0.6 mHigh 19:30 +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
No month stands out
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
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 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, its town, photos
Jug Handle State Beach 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 Jug Handle State Beach
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More surf near here
5 places
- Caspar 1 km away
- Hare Creek 4.6 km away
- Big River 8 km away
- The Oasis 20 km away
- Blues 26.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Jug Handle State Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (277°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (97°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 25). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in September, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Fort Bragg, 7.5 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 13°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$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 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 SMF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$523 |
| 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$2,160 |
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 · 28 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Fort Bragg its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Mendocino on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 36 places to stay
- Beds in Westport on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 6 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 10h 05m
About 10h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SMF, direct, then 3h 55m by road
Flights MDW → SMF 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.