Birling Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(South Coast of England, UK)

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- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Birling Gap Surf Guide

Birling Gap in South Coast of England is a quite exposed reef break that has fairly consistent surf. Autumn and winter are the best times of year for waves. Works best in offshore winds from the northeast and there is no shelter here from cross shore breezes. Waves can be ok even in light onshore winds Usually gets local windswells, but groundswells do happen and the ideal wave angle is from the southwest. There is no reef break. Often Crowded. Submerged rocks are a hazard.

Birling Gap Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	2	fairly consistent	12.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Birling Gap:

The best conditions reported for surf at Birling Gap occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Birling Gap (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Birling Gap with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 0% of the time in January while 45% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 55% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

45%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

55%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Birling Gap Location Map

Interactive Birling Gap surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Birling Gap is Gatwick (London) Airport (LGW) in England, 53 km (33 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Birling Gap is Lydd Airport (LYX) in U.k., 57 km (35 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Birling Gap Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 19:30 Local Time

m, °C	Monday 04			Tue
ft, °F	4PM	7PM	10PM	1AM
Wave (m)	W		W	W
Period (s)	8	-	7	7
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	off	cross- off	off	off

Tides at Birling Gap

Current tide and informaton

For Birling Gap, 0 km from Birling Gap.

Next High Water: 01:47am | 5.94m

Next Low Water: 07:49pm | 0.93m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Birling Gap Sea Temperature

The water temperature (12.3 °C) at Birling Gap is quite cold. If the sun shines as forecast, it should feel warm enough to get away with a good sealed spring wetsuit but you won't overheat in a winter wetsuit, gloves boots and a hood. Effective windchill factor of (14.0 °C).

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots.