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Kiawah Island, United States

Stay in Kiawah Island: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Kiawah Island

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Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island, the nearest town. Photo: OzarksRazorback, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Kiawah Island

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (162°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (342°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kiawah Island, 0.3 km away (about 5 min by car).

Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 4 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to CHS, direct.

    See flights MDW → CHS · Skyscanner from about £135 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Kiawah Island.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Kiawah IslandAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Kiawah Island · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Kiawah Island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Kiawah Island on Google Maps · Directions

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.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct222 ft6 s35kJ19°C
Mon 19Oct624 ft9 s186kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct393 ft9 s110kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct292 ft4 s18kJ22°C
Thu 22Oct212 ft5 s23kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct101 ft8 s21kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct202 ft6 s31kJ18°C
Sun 25Oct353 ft8 s115kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct614 ft8 s229kJ19°C
Tue 27Oct266 ft10 s550kJ19°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to CHS, then 55 min by road. About 4h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Kiawah Island

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to CHS, then 55 min by road. About 4h 50 door to door

The trip from Kiawah Island, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £870–£1,560 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to CHS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£135–£280
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£55–£90
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£870–£1,560

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Kiawah Island

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.