St. Simons Island, GA, United States
Also within 20 km of St. Simons
- St. Simons Island Surf spot · 2.3 km from St. Simons
- Goulds Inlet Surf spot · 4.1 km from St. Simons
- Sea Island Surf spot · 7.8 km from St. Simons
Watch this spot We email you when St. Simons Island, GA is worth the trip.

About St. Simons Island, GA
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (119°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (299°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 6.7 km out (1 in 667). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually January, February, July and August, with about 3 good days in 7; in April, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is St. Simons, 2.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 25°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 5 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to JAX, direct.
See flights MDW → JAX · Skyscanner from about £145 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 40 from the airport to St. Simons Island, GA.
Accommodation.
Stay in St. SimonsAd
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 St. Simons (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
St. Simons 4 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 65 places to stay · where St. Simons Island, GA stays
Places to stay in St. Simons · Booking.com AdSea Island 8 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 3 places to stay
Places to stay in Sea Island · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in St. Simons · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in St. Simons · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
St. Simons Island, GA on Google Maps · Directions
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Live webcam
Epworth by the Sea, 5 km away
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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 | 9, poor | 3 ft8 ssoft | 88kJ | wind from the north-east, 21 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 22, poor | 4 ft8 ssoft | 162kJ | wind from the north-east, 14 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 21, poor | 3 ft9 ssoft | 120kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 14, poor | 2 ft5 smushy | 18kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 14, poor | 2 ft7 smushy | 36kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 7, poor | 2 ft8 smushy | 25kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 9, poor | 2 ft7 smushy | 46kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 27 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 16, poor | 3 ft9 ssoft | 147kJ | wind from the north-east, 27 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 21, poor | 4 ft9 ssoft | 270kJ | wind from the north-east, 15 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 25, poor | 5 ft10 ssoft | 517kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 20°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 JAX, then 1h 40 by road. About 5h 55 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 26 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 19 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 20 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 10 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to JAX, then 1h 40 by road. About 5h 55 door to door
The plan picks the best of 3 spots near St. Simons each day: Goulds Inlet, St. Simons Island, St. Simons Island, GA.
Rough cost
About £940–£1,680 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 JAX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £145–£300 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £115–£190 |
| 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 | £940–£1,680 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near St. Simons
- Hot Dog AlleyHot dog · 0.4 km from the centre
- BarberitosMexican · 0.5 km from the centre
- Mullet Bay RestaurantSeafood · 0.5 km from the centre
- The Rooftop at Ocean LodgeSeafood · 0.5 km from the centre
- 4th Of May CafeAmerican · 0.6 km from the centre
- Barbara Jean'sSouthern american · 0.6 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
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.