Apelviken

Varberg · Sweden · Sweden

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Apelviken (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/apelviken.

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Sweden's main surf beach: a long, curved sandy bay just south of Varberg town centre, on the Kattegat. Peaks move along the bay with the sandbanks, with rocks at the north end. It suits all levels, and the surf schools, rental and surf shops make it the centre of Swedish surfing.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A longboard or mid-length for most days; a shortboard or fish on stormy winter days.

When it works

✓ A west to north-west wind swell after a strong westerly blow, as the wind eases or turns north-east to east.

When it doesn't

✕ Calm summer weather, when it is flat, and a strong onshore wind, which makes the waves messy.

Watch out for

  • currents
  • rips
  • crowds
  • rocks

Best months

January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December

Local tips

Dangerous currents can run on windy days, so ask about local currents and never surf alone. The tide is only a few centimetres, so it doesn't matter here. Watch the wind forecast more than the swell forecast: go when a strong onshore wind has blown for some hours, and catch the waves as it eases or turns. The sea drops to about 2 °C in winter: a 6/5 wetsuit or thicker, with boots, gloves and a hood.

Getting there

A short walk south of Varberg town centre. Varberg is about an hour's drive from Gothenburg and two hours from Malmö.

History

Surfing took hold in Sweden here and at Läjet in Träslövsläge in the 1980s.

Travel notes

How often it works
The Kattegat has no ocean swell and almost no tide. Waves come from strong westerly winds blowing across it, so it works on and off from September to March, and summer can be flat for weeks. Apelviken catches more of it than most of the coast and is the most reliable spot in the area.
Crowd and vibe
Sweden's busiest spot: the main peaks get crowded on good weekends, but the mood is friendly, and you can find space further along the bay.
Camping and vans
Apelvikens Camping (Destination Apelviken) is about 1 km away. Nearest campsite about 0.9 km away.
Facilities
Surf schools including Surfskolan Varberg, rental, a shop, restaurants, kiosks and mini golf at the beach.
Water quality
The EU bathing-water site Apelviken 1 was rated good in 2025 and 2024 and excellent in 2023; Apelviken 2 was good in 2025 and sufficient in 2023 and 2024 (European Environment Agency data).

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–NW best, SSW–N works
Size
0.9–1.8 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 2.5 m
Period
4 s minimum, best from 6 s
Wind
Offshore NNE–ESE; handles onshore up to 20 km/h
Tide
low, mid, high best
Faces
W (260°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Sweden · All spots

Sources