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Birling gap, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Eastbourne

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

Predominance of flint on Birling Gap beach, East Sussex
Birling gap. Photo: Andrew Diack, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Birling gap

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

The spot faces S (200°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (20°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 53). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Eastbourne, 6 km away (about 15 min by car).

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 14 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LHR, direct.

    See flights ORD → LHR · Skyscanner from about £395 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 55 from the airport to Birling gap.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in EastbourneAd

    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 Eastbourne · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Eastbourne · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Birling gap on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Birling gap 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct61 ft4 smushy2kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct51 ft3 smushy1kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct102 ft4 smushy14kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct63 ft4 smushy34kJ14°C
Thu 22Oct176 ft6 smushy223kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct103 ft9 smushy153kJ13°C
Sat 24Oct154 ft7 smushy149kJ13°C
Sun 25Oct52 ft7 smushy21kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct52 ft10 smushy57kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct21 ft6 smushy9kJ16°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 1h 55 by road. About 14h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 22 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

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

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 24 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Eastbourne

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 1h 55 by road. About 14h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Eastbourne each day: Birling gap, Eastbourne.

The trip from Eastbourne, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,095 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 ORD to LHR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£395–£820
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,125–£2,095

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

Places to eat near Eastbourne

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; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). 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

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