🇺🇸 OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
Ocean City
Maryland's primary surf beach, consistent Atlantic exposure
SMALL
Live Conditions
Conditions Summary
Small 2.8ft surf — but short 5s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — but swell direction is marginal for this spot — 6mph onshore wind roughing up the surface
LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby
Why it's SMALL
Swell Direction
Primary swell is 147° — wrong angle. This spot needs 80° swells to break properly.
Swell Period
5s — this is wind chop, not groundswell. Waves will be weak and disorganized.
Wind
6mph onshore — light but will soften wave shape
Tide
Rising tide — workable window
Season
September is peak season for this spot
Data Confidence
Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby
At the Break
2.8ft
LOW CONFIDENCE
Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby
Period
5s
✗ Wind swell
Wind
6mph
SE
ONSHORE
Water
77°F
Boardshorts
Tide
MID-TIDE · RISING
1.7ft
Next high: in 4 hr 31 min
Swell Direction
35%
Wind Direction
5%
Primary Swell
1.2ft @ 4.5s
SSE 147°
Secondary Swell
1.1ft @ 9.7s
ESE 120°
10 Day Outlook
3.1ft
TODAY
Sep 13
(9s)
3.9ft
TMRW
Sep 14
(9s)
3.9ft
TUE
Sep 15
(7s)
2.8ft
WED
Sep 16
(8s)
2.4ft
THU
Sep 17
(8s)
6.0ft
FRI
Sep 18
(8s)
6.2ft
SAT
Sep 19
(8s)
4.6ft
SUN
Sep 20
(9s)
10.0ft
MON
Sep 21
(9s)
12.2ft
TUE
Sep 22
(10s)
Best this week: SAT Sep 19 — 6.2ft
Best next week: TUE Sep 22 — 12.2ft
Incoming Swell Events
Day 6
moderate
Swell building to 6.0ft @ 8s
Day 9
epic
Major swell arriving — 10.0ft @ 9s
Day 10
epic
Major swell arriving — 12.2ft @ 10s
Model Breakdown
ECMWF (45%)2.9ft
ICON (35%)2.6ft
GFS (20%)2.8ft
Model confidence95%
Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS
About
Ocean City stretches 10 miles along the Maryland Atlantic coast with consistent beach break along its length. The inlet at the south end holds larger swell more cleanly. A classic East Coast surf town with a full boardwalk scene in summer and quiet sessions in the off-season.
The Break
Inlet jetty at the south end — or any of the beach break peaks up the coast.
Ideal Conditions
E/NE swell 3-8ft, offshore W/NW wind, mid tide
Best Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best months highlighted · Current: Sep
Trip Planner
Ocean City Beach Break Weekend
Weekend · 3 Days
Friday
Drive to Ocean City (from DC/Balt area, 2 hrs). Check the south inlet or beach lineup.
Saturday
Dawn patrol at prime peaks. Afternoon walk the famous boardwalk.
Sunday
Morning session, head home.
Maryland Beach Town Week
Full Week · 7 Days
Day 1
Arrive Ocean City, settle in, explore the 10-mile beach.
Day 2-4
Multiple sessions at different beach sections. South inlet holds bigger swell.
Day 5
Final session, boardwalk time before departure.
Local Knowledge
01
Inlet is the go-to when it's big.
02
Summer has permit requirements for surfing; off-season is unrestricted.
03
Full boardwalk infrastructure available.
Best Window
Day 10 · Sep 22
12.2ft @ 10s
FIRING
Trip Cost Estimate
Flights from NYC~$220
Hotel per night~$140
Weekend est.~$640
5 day est.~$920
Week est.~$1200