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Tigertail, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Marco Island

Watch this spot We email you when Tigertail is worth the trip.

Sunset on coast of Florida
Florida, the wider area. Photo: Don Miller, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Tigertail

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

The spot faces SW (246°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (66°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 5.0 km out (1 in 500). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 20°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 31°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually January, February, October and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Marco Island, 2.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → RSW · Skyscanner from about £165 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 25 from the airport to Tigertail.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Marco 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 Marco Island · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Marco Island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Tigertail on Google Maps · Directions

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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 beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct291 ft6 smushy14kJ28°C
Mon 19Oct161 ft3 smushy1kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct131 ft4 smushy1kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct181 ft3 smushy1kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct201 ft3 smushy1kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct211 ft4 smushy2kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct281 ft4 smushy3kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct241 ft5 smushy4kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct221 ft5 smushy5kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct201 ft6 smushy5kJ28°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 beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to RSW, then 1h 25 by road. About 6h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 34 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to RSW, then 1h 25 by road. About 6h 10 door to door

The trip from Marco Island, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £960–£1,725 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 RSW, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£165–£345
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
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£960–£1,725

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

Places to eat near Marco 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.