Surf spot

Cumberland Island

Forecast conditions and map view for Cumberland Island in USA, South East, Georgia. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, South East, Georgia
Coordinates: 30.7439, -81.4626

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.6	0.6	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.9	1	1	0.9	0.9
Wave direction	E	E	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	ESE	ESE	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	ENE	E	E	ENE	E	E	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE
Wave period (s)	5.3	5.8	5.6	5.2	5.3	5.2	4.9	5.2	6	3.7	3	4	5.9	5.3	5.5	2.9	2.9	6.5	6.8	6.6	5.8	6	6.1	5.8	6	6	6	6.2	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.1	6.5	6.5	6.8	6.5	6.4	7.5	4.2	7.8	7	6.2	6.3	5.5	5.9	7	6.7	6.5	6.3	6.4	7	5.7	5.3	5.1	4.9	4.7
Wave energy (kJ)	15	14	14	12	12	11	10	9	8	3	2	4	8	9	6	4	2	9	11	13	12	13	13	12	11	10	10	11	11	11	11	10	11	11	9	9	8	9	2	7	8	13	14	10	7	19	30	28	45	40	35	48	61	50	39	33
Wind speed (km/h)	6.5	5.5	4.8	5.6	6.6	12.3	15.4	6	6.5	4.2	3.6	4.1	8.1	11.8	8.9	6.2	6.9	5.9	4.3	6.2	4.2	17.9	8.4	8.6	4.5	6.1	5.5	4.1	9	8.5	7.4	7.5	3.3	3.7	4.3	12.1	17	17.3	11.3	12.3	10.9	9.9	9.2	15.8	20.5	19.8	13	12.5	10.9	8.7	9	16.8	18.5	17.8	13	10.1
Wind direction	SCross-on	SSWOnshore	WSWGlassy	WSWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSECross	SSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSWGlassy	SWGlassy	SSWGlassy	SSWCross-on	SSECross	SSECross	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWOnshore	WGlassy	WCross-on	SSWGlassy	SECross	SECross	SCross-on	SSWGlassy	SWOnshore	WOnshore	WNWGlassy	EOffshore	ESECross-off	SECross-off	SSECross	SWGlassy	EGlassy	EGlassy	ENEOffshore	ENEOffshore	ENEOffshore	ENEOffshore	EOffshore	EOffshore	ENEOffshore	NEOffshore	ENEOffshore	ENEOffshore	NEOffshore	ENEOffshore	ENEOffshore	ENEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	ENEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	ENEOffshore

Cumberland Island, Georgia, USA — surf spot description

Cumberland Island sits off the coast of southeast Georgia near the Florida line and is best known as a remote barrier island with long, undeveloped beaches rather than a classic high-performance surf destination. The surf here is highly exposed to the Atlantic, so it can pick up swell from distant storms, nor’easters, and tropical systems, but conditions are often small, soft, and inconsistent.

What the waves are like

Wave quality: Usually weak to moderate; can be surprisingly fun when a solid swell arrives.
Wave type: Mostly beachbreak along open stretches of sand.
Best size: Small to medium swells are common; larger swell can make it more serious and disorganized.
Shape: Often a mix of crumbly peaks and short rideable sections, with occasional cleaner lines when winds are favorable.

Conditions

Wind: Best with light offshore or calm winds. Onshore sea breezes are common in Georgia and can quickly make it choppy.
Tides: Tidal movement matters a lot; some sections work better at mid tide, but it can vary depending on sandbars.
Sandbars: Constantly shifting, so the best peak can move from one season to the next.

Access and vibe

Cumberland Island is protected and mostly undeveloped, so access is limited and surf sessions are more of an adventure.
The atmosphere is quiet, secluded, and wild, with far fewer crowds than mainland surf spots.
Expect logistics: ferry access, park regulations, and a need to plan carefully.

Hazards

Strong currents and rips can be an issue, especially when swell is up.
The area is remote, so help may be limited.
Wildlife and protected land rules are part of the experience.

Best for

Surfers looking for a remote, scenic, low-crowd session
Intermediate surfers on smaller, cleaner swells
Adventurous surfers who enjoy exploring shifting beachbreaks

Overall

Cumberland Island is more of a hidden, wild East Coast surf location than a consistent everyday wave. When the sandbars and swell line up, it can offer clean, uncrowded beachbreak surf in a beautiful setting; otherwise, it