Tidal River
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
45Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 4 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 223kJ
- Wind
- SW 7 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Wed 4 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Thu 5 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 252kJ
- Wind
- W 15 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Fri 6 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 216kJ
- Wind
- WNW 17 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sat 7 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 350kJ
- Wind
- SW 16 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 204kJ
- Wind
- ESE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- ENE 12 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 351, fair
- Wed 426, too small
- Thu 520, poor
- Fri 633, poor
- Sat 723, poor
- Sun 870, good
- Mon 948, fair
- Tue 1033, too small
- Wed 1134, poor
- Thu 1227, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 51, fair | 4 ft10 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 223kJ | wind from the south-west, 7 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 20, poor | 4 ft9 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 252kJ | wind from the west, 15 knots | 13°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 33, poor | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 216kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 17 knots | 15°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 23, poor | 4 ft11 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 350kJ | wind from the south-west, 16 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 70, good | 4 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 204kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 48, fair | 2 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 33, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 34, poor | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 231kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 27, too small | 3 ft11 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 144kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 14°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 NovHigh 06:39 +1.3 mLow 12:37 −0.8 mHigh 18:38 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:50 −1.3 mHigh 07:27 +1.1 mLow 13:30 −0.8 mHigh 19:40 +0.9 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 01:45 −1.0 mHigh 08:18 +1.0 mLow 14:27 −0.8 mHigh 20:49 +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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 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
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Tidal River on Google Maps · Directions
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.
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Photos of Tidal River
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tidal River
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (210°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (30°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 75). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Wilsons Promontory Campgrounds, Tidal River, 0 km. Nearest beds: Foster, 43 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Melbourne Moorabbin Airport (MBW), 158 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 15°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$1,570–US$3,070 each
about US$1,570–US$3,070 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$959–US$2,000 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$148–US$242 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$235 |
| Total | about US$1,570–US$3,070 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 43 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Wilsons Promontory Campgrounds, Tidal River, 0 km. Nearest beds: Foster, 43 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Melbourne Moorabbin Airport (MBW), 158 km.
See places to stay near Foster, 43 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 31h 35m
About 31h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MEL, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 3h 45m by road
Flights MDW → MEL on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
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.