Glenelg
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
44Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 2 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- SSW 14 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sat 7 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 40kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 221, too small
- Tue 340, too small
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 559, fair
- Fri 658, fair
- Sat 751, fair
- Sun 829, too small
- Mon 911, too small
- Tue 1025, too small
- Wed 1134, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 21, too small | 1 ft10 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | wind from the south, 10 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 40, too small | 1 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 14 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 59, fair | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 58, fair | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 51, fair | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 29, too small | 1 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 25, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 10 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 34, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 21°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 01:15 −0.5 mHigh 08:44 +0.7 mLow 15:43 −0.2 mHigh 19:50 −0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 01:00 −0.3 mHigh 08:44 +0.4 mLow 23:09 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:29 +0.3 mLow 11:51 +0.1 mHigh 16:20 +0.1 mLow 22:17 −0.3 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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Glenelg 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 Glenelg
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Live webcam
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Live webcam
In Adelaide, the nearest town, 10 km away
In Adelaide, the nearest town, 10 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- Somerton 2.5 km away
- Minda Bank 2.9 km away
- West Beach 3.9 km away
- Brighton 4.2 km away
- Henley Beach 7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Glenelg
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (269°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (89°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.5 km out (1 in 250). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 23°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Adelaide, 9.7 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 6 wind sports spots.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,820–US$3,500 each
about US$1,820–US$3,500 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 MDW to ADL, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$985–US$2,040 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$355–US$596 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$234 |
| Total | about US$1,820–US$3,500 |
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 20 min by car · 137 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Adelaide its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Moana on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 9 places to stay
- Beds in Port Willunga on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 16 places to stay
About US$134 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 28h 40m
About 28h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ADL, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then 20 min by road
Flights MDW → ADL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.