Cliffs, United States
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Charleston, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHS (CHS), 24 km.
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About Cliffs
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (126°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (306°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 13°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Charleston, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHS (CHS), 24 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 4 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to CHS, direct.
See flights MDW → CHS · Skyscanner from about £135 returnAdGetting there. 45 min from the airport to Cliffs.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Charleston, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CHS (CHS), 24 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Cliffs · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Cliffs · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Cliffs on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Cliffs does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 20, too small | 3 ft8 s | 89kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 53, good | 4 ft8 s | 184kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 39, fair | 3 ft8 s | 116kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 25, too small | 2 ft4 s | 16kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 26, too small | 2 ft7 s | 42kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 9, too small | 1 ft8 s | 22kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 16, too small | 2 ft7 s | 44kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 15 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 23, poor | 4 ft7 s | 122kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 15 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 51, good | 5 ft8 s | 267kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 31, poor | 6 ft10 s | 569kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 21°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight MDW to CHS, then 45 min by road. About 4h 45 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Cliffs
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to CHS, then 45 min by road. About 4h 45 door to door
Rough cost
About £585–£1,085 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to CHS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £135–£280 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £40–£70 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £585–£1,085 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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