Caerhays
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
10Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (3 ft swell at 5 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- NNE 12 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Thu 5 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 18, too small
- Mon 212, too small
- Tue 313, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 54, too small
- Fri 617, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 83, too small
- Mon 92, too small
- Tue 1016, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 5–18 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Caerhays does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft9 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | offshorewind from the north, 8 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, too small | 4 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 9°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft7 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft5 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 9°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft7 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the south-west, 6 knots | 14°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 03:24 −1.8 mHigh 09:09 +1.8 mLow 16:04 −1.8 mHigh 21:45 +1.3 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:29 −1.5 mHigh 10:17 +1.5 mLow 17:15 −1.6 mHigh 23:10 +1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:43 −1.4 mHigh 11:50 +1.3 mLow 18:29 −1.5 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Caerhays 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.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Caerhays
More surf near here
1 place
- Pentewan 6.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Caerhays
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–18 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Gorran Churchtown, 2.7 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,230–US$2,270 each
about US$1,230–US$2,270 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, 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 NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$435–US$898 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$60–US$94 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about US$1,230–US$2,270 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
5 min by car · 13 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Gorran Churchtown its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pentewan on Booking.com
13 min by car · 18 places to stay
- Beds in Falmouth on Booking.com
32 min by car · 93 places to stay
About US$107 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 16h 20m
About 16h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 45 min by road
Flights ORD → NQY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.