United States · North America
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at New Smyrna Beach. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical early July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at New Smyrna Beach is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Small waves but still worth a paddle for keen surfers. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Moderate wind adding texture to the faces. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: thunderstorms forecast.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 67% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Noticeably cleaner air than a typical city. Good conditions for prolonged outdoor activity.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NO₂ 5, O₃ 3, PM10 2, SO₂ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 21:00
Good water clarity: ~8m visibility
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
New Smyrna Beach is one of the most consistent waves on the US East Coast, a reliable beach break where the Ponce de Leon Inlet rock jetty structures the sand into defined banks. The wave produces punchy, steep A-frames that offer both left and right-hand walls. The consistency and accessibility have created a massive local surf community, making it one of the most crowded yet highest-wave-count spots in Florida. It also holds the distinction of being the shark bite capital of the world.
Short-period easterly wind swells provide waves almost year-round, with the most consistent and powerful conditions from September through March. Hurricane groundswells (August-November) deliver the biggest and best-shaped waves. The wave works on 2-6ft of east to north-east swell. Westerly offshore winds provide clean conditions, most common during cold front passages.
The jetty area at the inlet is the prime spot, where the structure creates the most defined banks. The sandbars south of the jetty produce punchy peaks at regular intervals. Position yourself adjacent to the jetty where the reflected energy creates slightly larger, more defined A-frames. The further south you move from the jetty, the less structure the banks have.
Sharks. New Smyrna has more shark encounters (primarily blacktip and spinner) than anywhere else in the world. The encounters are typically non-fatal but frequent. Strong rip currents develop alongside the jetty. The rock structure itself is a hard surface to avoid. The crowd is intense and boards fly in heavy wipeouts.
Free parking at the inlet park and along the beach road (which allows driving on the sand in certain areas). The beach is flat and immediately accessible. Full facilities available. Numerous surf shops and rental places serve the area.
New Smyrna is extremely crowded. The inlet area can hold 50-100 surfers on a good day. The consistency of the waves and the easy access draw a massive community. The standard ranges from beginners to competitive shortboarders. Weekday mornings offer the best ratios. The vibe is generally friendly despite the density.
Don't overthink the sharks. Thousands of surfers enter the water here daily without incident. Avoid murky water, dawn/dusk sessions near bait schools, and areas with unusual bird activity. A groveller or fish-style board maximises wave count on the typically small, fast waves. The jetty area is most competitive for waves; moving a few hundred metres south provides less structure but more space. Hurricane swells are the highlight of the year: watch tropical forecasts and be ready to move when the swell arrives.
Surf at New Smyrna Beach
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Daily scores over the last 12 months at New Smyrna Beach
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at New Smyrna Beach tend to be best between 07:00 to 10:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 40/100
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
View Best Time to Go →Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 31 days of logged conditions.
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