Is Nanwan good for beginners?

Yes. Nanwan is a beginner-to-improver spot and one of the friendlier ones in Pingtung, Taiwan, for surfers just starting out. Conditions change daily, though, so check this page's daily conditions score before you paddle out.

When does Nanwan work best?

Nanwan is usually cleanest on a S/SE/SSW swell and a N/NE wind. How good it actually gets still comes down to the day's wave height and period, so go by the hourly forecast on this page.

How do I get to Nanwan?

Nanwan sits on the coast in Pingtung, Taiwan. Open Google Maps navigation straight from the spot map on this page to get there.

Does Nanwan have a live cam?

Yes. This page embeds a live feed from National Academy of Marine Research at "southBay" (about 0.1 km NE of Nanwan), so you can check it against the current conditions. Cameras can distort wave scale. Cross-check the forecast and footage, and defer to conditions on site, official warnings, and local professionals before entering the water.

2026-11-08 · Taiwan time · Beginner criteria (default)

Display settingsm · m/s

Numeric wave heights are model significant wave height (Hs). The body scale estimates breaking-wave face height. Display settings do not change the assessment.

Tide m · Temperature °C · Distance km · Period s

Changes apply immediately and are remembered in this browser.

Pingtung

Nanwan conditions on this date

Dangerous

Estimated face: about Well overhead2.3–2.9 mHs 2.1 m

Best windowNo window meets the criteria on this date

Wave Hs: 1.7–2.1 m
Period: 7–8 s
Wind: Offshore wind
Tide: Rising · Low 00:11

How to read the two heights: Hs is the model's significant wave height; metres and feet are two units for that same Hs height (1 ft = 0.3048 m). Breaking-wave face height is an engineering estimate that applies a period-aware nearshore shoaling factor to Hs, so it is usually larger. It is not a unit conversion or an on-site measurement.

Improver +Spot profile uses general settings

Dangerous on this date: Waves too big. Stay out of the water.

This hour’s forecast

16:00 · Swell E

Wave Hs: 1.7 m
Period: 6.9 s
Wind: 7.0 m/s ENE
Gust: 15.4 m/s
Tide: 0.4 mRising
Air: 26°C
Sea: 28°C
UV: 2

Why we say this

Verdict: dangerous, stay out of the water. Waves too big.

DangerWaves too big
The forecast waves are over the safe ceiling for your level.

Use the image for the scene and the forecast for the trend

Camera: southBay · 0.1 km (NE) from this spot

📐 Cameras compress wave scale. Use the image for visibility and set timing; judge height again from shore.

Footage from: National Academy of Marine Research · Government Open Data License

Direction

Wind

Offshore wind

Wind blows from land to sea, so the face stays clean.

SwellIdealForecast

Swell is off

This spot works best on S, SE, SSW swell.

Offshore wind on this date, but the swell isn't lined up.

RightsFaces S

Spot specs

Type: Beach break
Seabed: Reef and sand
Best tide: Low to Mid
Level: Improver +

Location

Navigate in Google Maps

Next 7 days

Hourly forecast (Sun)

Shared time axis · shaded band is the best window to paddle out

Weather model

Wave Hsm

1.7

Periods

7.1

Windm/s

6.8

Tidem

-0.3

Time

0003060912151821

Swell dir

Wind dir

All four charts share one time axis · significant wave height Hs (m) · period (s) · wind (m/s) · tide (m) · arrows show where it comes from · the band marks the best window · tide uses CWA (unaffected by model) · slide or touch to read each hour.

Tide

衝浪南灣 station · CWA

Hourly raw values

Hourly forecast (Sun) · Daylight 5:00–18:00 is the surfable window

Hourly swell, wind, weather, tide, air/sea temperature, and UV for the selected day
Time	00	02	04	06	08	10	12	14	16	18	20	22
Wave Hsm	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.1	2.1	2.0	1.9	1.8	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7
Periods	7.8	7.6	7.6	7.5	7.4	8.2	8.1	7.2	6.9	7.2	8.0	7.4
Swell dir	110°	108°	101°	104°	116°	99°	94°	100°	97°	92°	86°	97°
Windm/s	9.0	8.4	8.0	9.0	8.4	8.7	8.3	7.8	7.0	6.8	7.3	7.1
Wind dir	68°	60°	57°	60°	61°	61°	61°	57°	57°	58°	62°	59°
Gustm/s	17.7	16.5	15.4	17.2	19.0	18.0	17.8	16.8	15.4	13.0	14.3	13.7
Weather	Rain	Cloudy	Rain	Cloudy	Cloudy	Cloudy	Cloudy	Clear	Clear	Cloudy	Clear	Cloudy
Tidem	-0.5	-0.3	-0.1	0.1	0.0	-0.1	-0.1	0.2	0.4	0.5	0.2	-0.1
Air°C	24	24	23	23	25	27	28	28	26	25	25	25
Sea°C	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28
UV	0	0	0	0	1	5	7	5	2	0	0	0

Significant wave height Hs (m) · period (s) · wind & gust (m/s) · arrows show where it comes from (green = suits, dim = unfavorable) · relative tide level (m) · air / sea temp (°C) · UV. Color is only a hint; numbers and arrows remain. Swipe to see all hours on mobile.

About Nanwan

Nanwan is a south-facing beach break at the southern tip of Pingtung, peeling right over a reef and sand bottom. It works best from low to mid tide with S, SE, or SSW swell and a N or NE offshore wind. Lower-intermediate level, find your feet on sand first.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nanwan good for beginners?: Yes. Nanwan is a beginner-to-improver spot and one of the friendlier ones in Pingtung, Taiwan, for surfers just starting out. Conditions change daily, though, so check this page's daily conditions score before you paddle out.
When does Nanwan work best?: Nanwan is usually cleanest on a S/SE/SSW swell and a N/NE wind. How good it actually gets still comes down to the day's wave height and period, so go by the hourly forecast on this page.
How do I get to Nanwan?: Nanwan sits on the coast in Pingtung, Taiwan. Open Google Maps navigation straight from the spot map on this page to get there.
Does Nanwan have a live cam?: Yes. This page embeds a live feed from National Academy of Marine Research at "southBay" (about 0.1 km NE of Nanwan), so you can check it against the current conditions. Cameras can distort wave scale. Cross-check the forecast and footage, and defer to conditions on site, official warnings, and local professionals before entering the water.

See all Kenting & Nanwan surf spots →