Scarborough, United States
Also within 20 km of Scarborough
- Higgins Beach Surf spot · 5.2 km from Scarborough
- Old Orchard Beach (OOB) Surf spot · 6.2 km from Scarborough
- Doc Browns Surf spot · 9.4 km from Scarborough
- TWO LIGHTS Surf spot · 11.1 km from Scarborough
- Fortunes Rocks Surf spot · 14.9 km from Scarborough
- Timber Island Surf spot · 19.5 km from Scarborough
Watch this spot We email you when Scarborough is worth the trip.

About Scarborough
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (139°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (319°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 61). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 5°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in May, June and July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Scarborough, 3.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PWM, direct.
See flights MDW → PWM · Skyscanner from about £150 returnAdGetting there. 30 min from the airport to Scarborough.
Accommodation.
Stay in ScarboroughAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Scarborough (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Scarborough 7 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · where Scarborough stays
Places to stay in Scarborough · Booking.com AdOld Orchard Beach 12 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 126 places to stay
Places to stay in Old Orchard Beach · Booking.com AdKennebunkport 44 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 51 places to stay
Places to stay in Kennebunkport · Booking.com AdKennebunk 45 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 4 places to stay
Places to stay in Kennebunk · Booking.com AdWells 59 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 24 places to stay
Places to stay in Wells · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Scarborough · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Scarborough · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Scarborough on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 3, too small | 1 ft9 scrumbling | 8kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 10°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 37kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 34, too small | 5 ft8 smushy | 287kJ | offshorewind from the north, 11 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 22, too small | 5 ft6 smushy | 170kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 45, fair | 6 ft7 smushy | 319kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 15, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 61kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 12 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 10, too small | 3 ft6 smushy | 46kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 3, too small | 1 ft4 smushy | 3kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft8 smushy | 5kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 13°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft7 smushy | 5kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 12°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. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. 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 expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight MDW to PWM, then 30 min by road. About 4h 50 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Scarborough
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Doc Browns
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to PWM, then 30 min by road. About 4h 50 door to door
The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Scarborough each day: Doc Browns, Scarborough.
Rough cost
About £850–£1,525 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to PWM, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £150–£305 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £20–£30 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £270–£455 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £850–£1,525 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Scarborough
- Ken's PlaceSeafood · 1.8 km from the centre
- Pine Point GrillSeafood · 1.8 km from the centre
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
Where to stayAd
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