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Chatham Beach, Massachusetts. - panoramio (2)
South Beach. Photo: Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

South Beach

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

3Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Sun 8: too small (3 ft swell at 7 s), onshore wind, 12 kn (22 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 1 out of 100

Swell
1 ft9 s
Energy
13kJ
Wind
WSW 14 kn
Temp
15°C

Tue 3 · 1 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft3 s
Energy
0kJ
Wind
SW 12 kn
Temp
14°C

Wed 4 · 1 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft3 s
Energy
0kJ
Wind
SW 13 kn
Temp
15°C

Thu 5 · 1 out of 100

Swell
1 ft4 s
Energy
1kJ
Wind
SSW 9 kn
Temp
15°C

Fri 6 · 2 out of 100

Swell
1 ft7 s
Energy
11kJ
Wind
SSW 14 kn
Temp
16°C

Sat 7 · 4 out of 100

Swell
3 ft6 s
Energy
70kJ
Wind
SE 7 kn
Temp
15°C

Sun 8 · 9 out of 100

Swell
3 ft7 s
Energy
102kJ
Wind
NNW 13 kn
Temp
12°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 21, too small
  2. Tue 31, too small
  3. Wed 41, too small
  4. Thu 51, too small
  5. Fri 61, too small
  6. Sat 710, too small
  7. Sun 821, too small
  8. Mon 93, too small
  9. Tue 102, too small
  10. Wed 114, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Stakes swell from the S
  • Offshore: Nwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 5–20 ftof swell
  • Water 11 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves

Full forecast

every day, every number

South Beach does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at South Beach, each day
DayScorefor ExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov1, too small1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.)13kJwind from the west-south-west, 14 knots15°C
Tue 3Nov1, too smallunder 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.)0kJwind from the south-west, 12 knots14°C
Wed 4Nov1, too smallunder 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.)0kJwind from the south-west, 13 knots15°C
Thu 5Nov1, too small1 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.)1kJwind from the south-south-west, 9 knots15°C
Fri 6Nov1, too small1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)11kJwind from the south-south-west, 14 knots16°C
Sat 7Nov10, too small3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.)70kJwind from the south-east, 7 knots15°C
Sun 8Nov21, too small3 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.)102kJwind from the north-north-west, 13 knots, offshore12°C
Mon 9Nov3, too small2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)53kJwind from the south-west, 14 knots14°C
Tue 10Nov2, too small2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)30kJwind from the west, 17 knots13°C
Wed 11Nov4, too small2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.)14kJwind from the north-west, 16 knots10°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 05:24 +0.8 mLow 11:09 −0.8 mHigh 17:39 +1.0 mLow 23:56 −0.9 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 06:24 +0.8 mLow 12:16 −0.8 mHigh 18:45 +1.0 m
  • Wed 4 NovLow 00:56 −0.9 mHigh 07:22 +0.9 mLow 13:22 −0.8 mHigh 19:48 +0.9 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, its town, photos

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: 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.

Photos of South Beach

Beach in Chatham MA
Near South Beach. Photo: m01229 from USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chatham Light Station beach view
Near South Beach. Photo: Borowieczka, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Live webcam

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Live webcam

Near South Beach, 2 km away

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More surf near here

3 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About South Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces S (201°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (21°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 21°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Chatham, 2.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 wind sports spots.

Water about 11°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$1,030–US$1,850 each

about US$1,030–US$1,850 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to HYA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$174–US$362
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$60–US$101
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$302–US$503
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$148–US$242
Totalabout US$1,030–US$1,850

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

Closest

Chatham

about 5 min by car · 31 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 31 places to stay in Chatham · Booking.com

About Chatham its beds, food and every spot near it

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 5h 20m

About 5h 20m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → HYA, direct, then 50 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

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