Point Sur
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
40Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 7 ft swell at 14 s
Tue 3 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 1,730kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 1,189kJ
- Wind
- NNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 599kJ
- Wind
- NNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 2,175kJ
- Wind
- N 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 3,199kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 935kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 2,343kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 256, fair
- Tue 376, good
- Wed 412, poor
- Thu 551, fair
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 866, good
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 1017, poor
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Aug–Nov2 good days in 7
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 | 56, fair | 7 ft16 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,922kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 76, good | 7 ft14 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,730kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 12, poor | 9 ft9 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,189kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 51, fair | 7 ft8 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 599kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 2,175kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft13 shollow11 ft at break (est.) | 3,199kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 66, good | 7 ft10 shollow7 ft at break (est.) | 935kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 shollow11 ft at break (est.) | 2,343kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 17, poor | 7 ft10 shollow8 ft at break (est.) | 915kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft11 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 2,013kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 1 knot | 18°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 05:22 +0.5 mLow 10:37 −0.1 mHigh 16:08 +0.6 mLow 23:10 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:03 +0.6 mLow 11:53 −0.3 mHigh 17:32 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:02 −0.8 mHigh 06:39 +0.7 mLow 12:53 −0.5 mHigh 18:45 +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
best Aug–Nov
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
- Jul1of 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 and its town
Point Sur 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.
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
3 places
- Andrew molera state beach 4.7 km away
- Garrapata 13.1 km away
- Fullers 17.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Point Sur
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (242°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (62°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 8). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually August, September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Big Sur, 9.2 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 14°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$1,130–US$2,050 each
about US$1,130–US$2,050 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 ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$262–US$537 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$81–US$127 |
| 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$1,130–US$2,050 |
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 · 9 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Big Sur its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carmel By The Sea on Booking.com
about 50 min by car · 58 places to stay
- Beds in Monterey on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 80 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 7h 25m
About 7h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → MRY 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.