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DNA
Surf spot · Jamaica
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: too small (1 ft swell at 3 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 shollow
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SSE 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SSE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 shollow
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 shollow
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 shollow
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 29, too small
- Tue 36, too small
- Wed 44, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 76, too small
- Sun 86, too small
- Mon 97, too small
- Tue 103, 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
DNA 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 | 9, too small | 1 ft4 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft4 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 1 knot, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft3 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft3 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft3 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 26°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 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
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:50 +0.1 mLow 11:53 −0.1 mHigh 17:44 +0.2 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
DNA 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.
Photos of DNA
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More surf near here
2 places
- Runaways 3.2 km away
- Discovery Bay 5.6 km away
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
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to MBJ, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$509 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| 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$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
about 5 min by car · 21 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Runaway Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Discovery Bay on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 7 places to stay
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
Flights MDW → MBJ on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.