Florida - East Coast
Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and very poor with 8mph ENE winds.
Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and very poor with 8mph ENE winds.
Best window·Friday 5PM–8PM·2-3ft·Fair - Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Main Beach, Florida - East Coast. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and very poor conditions with 8mph ENE winds.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3ft, 7s period, rated Poor. Midday is the call — 2-3ft waves with 9mph SSE winds and fair conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 8s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on SE swell at 5s with light SW winds. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Sun, Sep 6: 0–1ft, 4s period, rated Very Poor. Slim pickings today — 0-1ft and very poor with gentle W breeze.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. Slim pickings today — 0-1ft and very poor with light NNE winds. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 14mph.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Very Poor today — get one free email when Main Beach turns Good.
Check Main Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Main Beach at Fernandina is Amelia Island's primary surf spot, known for spitting sand-bottom barrels just yards from shore. With limited interference from outside sandbars, it delivers a legit shorebreak experience at higher tides — hollow, fast, and powerful. When a solid NE swell hits in winter, this spot fires with some of the longest, most powerful lines on the island.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Main Beach is 1-2ft with a 9.1s swell period. Wind is E at 7mph. Conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Main Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.2ft E primary swell at 9s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Main Beach is Friday from 5 PM to 8 PM with 2ft waves, a 5.3s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Main Beach works best with a NE swell and W winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Main Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Main Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Main Beach at Fernandina is Amelia Island's primary surf spot, known for spitting sand-bottom barrels just yards from shore. With limited interference from outside sandbars, it delivers a legit shorebreak experience at higher tides — hollow, fast, and powerful. When a solid NE swell hits in winter, this spot fires with some of the longest, most powerful lines on the island.
The prime season at Main Beach is winter, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Main Beach include powerful shorebreak, rip currents, sharks, jellyfish, pier pilings. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Main Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
