Is it worth the trip?
65Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 11 s, 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 334kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tue 3 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 269kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 243kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 334kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 260kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 152kJ
- Wind
- WSW 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 104kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 180, good
- Mon 265, good
- Tue 372, good
- Wed 462, good
- Thu 576, good
- Fri 665, good
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 828, too small
- Mon 957, fair
- Tue 1071, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May–Jun, Sep5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 80, good | 4 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 481kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 65, good | 3 ft13 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 72, good | 4 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 269kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 62, good | 3 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 243kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 76, good | 4 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 65, good | 3 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 260kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 152kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 104kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 230kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 71, good | 3 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 250kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 27°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 00:41 −1.1 mHigh 06:51 +1.2 mLow 13:13 −1.2 mHigh 19:35 +1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:48 −1.0 mHigh 07:57 +1.0 mLow 14:19 −1.1 mHigh 20:43 +1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:03 −0.9 mHigh 09:12 +0.9 mLow 15:31 −1.0 mHigh 21:55 +1.1 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best May–Jun, Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Backwash on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Backwash
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (117°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (297°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 7). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and September, with about 5 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Encanta La Vida, Puerto Jimenez, 1 km. Nearest beds: Zancudo, 22 km (about 40 min by car). Nearest airport: Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM), 16 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$697–US$1,330 each
about US$697–US$1,330 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to DAV, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$301–US$630 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$208–US$389 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$94–US$154 |
| Total | about US$697–US$1,330 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 22 km away
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Encanta La Vida, Puerto Jimenez, 1 km. Nearest beds: Zancudo, 22 km (about 40 min by car). Nearest airport: Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM), 16 km.
See places to stay near Zancudo, 22 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 16h 05m
About 16h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DAV, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 3h 05m by road
Flights ORD → DAV on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.