Downderry Schoolhouse
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
8Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (2 ft swell at 4 s), onshore wind, 11 kn (21 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft15 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Mon 9 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- E 15 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 211, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 412, too small
- Thu 514, too small
- Fri 64, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 94, too small
- Tue 1052, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 4–17 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Downderry Schoolhouse 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 | 11, too small | 2 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft15 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 12, too small | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 11 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 9°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east, 15 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 52, fair | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 114kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 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 04:32 −1.5 mHigh 10:25 +1.5 mLow 17:18 −1.6 mHigh 23:23 +1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:46 −1.3 mHigh 12:03 +1.3 mLow 18:33 −1.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:14 +1.1 mLow 07:00 −1.4 mHigh 13:41 +1.4 mLow 19:42 −1.6 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
Downderry Schoolhouse 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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Photos of Downderry Schoolhouse
More surf near here
5 places
- Seaton 1.6 km away
- Portwrinkle 3.8 km away
- Looe 5.2 km away
- Rame reef 11.4 km away
- Rame Reef Eastern 11.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Downderry Schoolhouse
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (181°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (1°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–17 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 56). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 Looe, 6.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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$1,260–US$2,330 each
about US$1,260–US$2,330 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$94–US$154 |
| 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$1,260–US$2,330 |
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
11 min by car · 78 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Looe its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Torpoint on Booking.com
21 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Pentewan on Booking.com
54 min by car · 18 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 35m
About 16h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 1h by road
Flights ORD → NQY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.