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Jamaica - panoramio (20)
DNA. Photo: Belarmino Ribeiro, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

DNA

Surf spot · Jamaica

Is it worth the trip?

6Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Mon 2: too small (1 ft swell at 4 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 12 out of 100

Swell
1 ft4 shollow
Energy
4kJ
Wind
ESE 2 kn
Temp
28°C

Tue 3 · 6 out of 100

Swell
1 ft4 shollow
Energy
1kJ
Wind
NE 3 kn
Temp
29°C

Wed 4 · 3 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft5 s
Energy
1kJ
Wind
SE 2 kn
Temp
27°C

Thu 5 · 3 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft6 s
Energy
0kJ
Wind
SE 2 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 3 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft7 s
Energy
1kJ
Wind
S 2 kn
Temp
27°C

Sat 7 · 2 out of 100

Swell
1 ft3 s
Energy
0kJ
Wind
ENE 9 kn
Temp
28°C

Sun 8 · 8 out of 100

Swell
1 ft4 shollow
Energy
4kJ
Wind
E 9 kn
Temp
29°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 116, too small
  2. Mon 212, too small
  3. Tue 36, too small
  4. Wed 43, too small
  5. Thu 53, too small
  6. Fri 63, too small
  7. Sat 72, too small
  8. Sun 88, too small
  9. Mon 910, too small
  10. Tue 106, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Ntakes swell from the N
  • Offshore: Swind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 2–7 ftof swell
  • Water 29 °Cno wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at DNA, each day
DayScore for intermediatesSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov16, too small2 ft4 shollow2 ft at break (est.)6kJwind from the east-south-east, 7 knots29°C
Mon 2Nov12, too small1 ft4 shollow1 ft at break (est.)4kJwind from the east-south-east, 2 knots28°C
Tue 3Nov6, too small1 ft4 shollow1 ft at break (est.)1kJwind from the north-east, 3 knots29°C
Wed 4Nov3, too smallunder 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.)1kJwind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore27°C
Thu 5Nov3, too smallunder 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.)0kJwind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore26°C
Fri 6Nov3, too smallunder 1 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.)1kJwind from the south, 2 knots, offshore27°C
Sat 7Nov2, too small1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.)0kJwind from the east-north-east, 9 knots28°C
Sun 8Nov8, too small1 ft4 shollow1 ft at break (est.)4kJwind from the east, 9 knots29°C
Mon 9Nov10, too small1 ft3 shollow1 ft at break (est.)2kJwind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore28°C
Tue 10Nov6, too small1 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.)4kJwind from the east-south-east, 1 knot26°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 NovHigh 02:16 +0.1 mLow 08:18 −0.1 mHigh 15:19 +0.2 mLow 22:10 −0.1 m
  • Mon 2 NovHigh 03:41 +0.1 mLow 09:39 −0.1 mHigh 16:14 +0.2 mLow 22:57 −0.1 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 04:51 +0.1 mLow 10:50 −0.1 mHigh 17:02 +0.2 mLow 23:38 −0.1 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.

Map

the spot, its town, photos

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 DNA

Jamaica - panoramio (25)
Photo: Belarmino Ribeiro, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

More surf near here

2 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About DNA

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces N (2°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (182°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 8). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 27°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Runaway Bay, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 dive site.

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$824–US$1,510 each

about US$824–US$1,510 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to MBJ, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$248–US$509
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$94–US$154
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$188–US$315
Food7 days eating outabout US$208–US$389
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$87–US$141
Totalabout US$824–US$1,510

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: 2 towns

Closest

Runaway Bay

2 min by car · 21 places to stay

about US$67/nightcountry average

See 21 places to stay in Runaway Bay · Booking.com

About Runaway Bay its beds, food and every spot near it

About US$67 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 8h 50m

About 8h 50m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → MBJ, direct, then 1h 20m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.