Is it worth the trip?
42Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 7 s
Tue 3 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 150kJ
- Wind
- SSE 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 133kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 s
- Energy
- 90kJ
- Wind
- WSW 0 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 s
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 s
- Energy
- 55kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 57kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- WNW 13 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 260, good
- Tue 359, fair
- Wed 461, good
- Thu 535, too small
- Fri 631, too small
- Sat 729, too small
- Sun 827, too small
- Mon 918, too small
- Tue 1013, too small
- Wed 116, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Jan–Mar5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Beacons does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 60, good | 4 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 59, fair | 4 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 150kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 61, good | 4 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 133kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft13 s3 ft at break (est.) | 90kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 0 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft12 s3 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft11 s3 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 27, too small | 3 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 57kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft7 s1 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 13 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft11 s3 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 10 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft11 s3 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the west, 15 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 06:40 +0.3 mLow 13:16 −0.1 mHigh 19:13 +0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:58 −0.1 mHigh 08:29 +0.2 mLow 15:31 −0.1 mHigh 21:50 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 03:41 −0.1 mHigh 09:55 +0.2 mLow 16:35 −0.2 mHigh 23:03 +0.3 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 Jan–Mar
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 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
Beacons on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Beacons
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (208°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (28°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 29°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February and March, with about 5 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest beds: Vaadhoo, 15 km (about 30 min by car). Nearest airport: Kaadedhdhoo Airport (KDM), 35 km.
Water about 29°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$1,320–US$2,620 each
about US$1,320–US$2,620 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to GAN, estimated from distance and season, changing at DXB and CMB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$933–US$1,940 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| 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$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,320–US$2,620 |
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 15 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Vaadhoo, 15 km (about 30 min by car). Nearest airport: Kaadedhdhoo Airport (KDM), 35 km.
See places to stay near Vaadhoo, 15 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 33h 45m
About 33h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → GAN, changing at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), then 2h 05m by road
Flights ORD → GAN on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.