Death Bay
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
31Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 3 ft swell at 11 s, onshore wind, 15 kn (27 km/h)
Tue 3 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- NE 16 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 146kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 83kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sat 7 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Mon 9 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- ESE 17 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 311, too small
- Wed 452, fair
- Thu 542, too small
- Fri 625, too small
- Sat 726, too small
- Sun 817, too small
- Mon 96, too small
- Tue 1023, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best in Apr2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft14 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | wind from the north-east, 16 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 52, fair | 3 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 146kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 17 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 25, too small | 1 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 26, too small | 1 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 17, too small | 1 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 17 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 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
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:27 −1.9 mHigh 10:41 +2.1 mLow 17:21 −1.9 mHigh 23:26 +1.8 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:55 −1.7 mHigh 12:02 +2.0 mLow 18:47 −2.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:48 +1.8 mLow 07:17 −1.9 mHigh 13:20 +2.2 mLow 19:58 −2.2 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 in Apr
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
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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, its town, photos
Death Bay 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.
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.
Photos of Death Bay
More surf near here
5 places
- Daymer Bay 1.4 km away
- Trevone 5 km away
- Harlyn Bay 6.2 km away
- Mother Ivey's (spot M) 7.3 km away
- Boobies 8.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Death Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (294°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (114°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually April, with about 2 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Padstow, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 14°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$2,280 each
about US$1,230–US$2,280 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$67–US$107 |
| 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$2,280 |
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
about 5 min by car · 27 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Polzeath its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in New Polzeath on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 25 places to stay
- Beds in Padstow on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 86 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 25m
About 16h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → NQY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.