Jalama
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 8 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 342kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tue 3 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,301kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,194kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 569kJ
- Wind
- NNE 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,595kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,507kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,019kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 124, too small
- Mon 235, too small
- Tue 347, fair
- Wed 453, fair
- Thu 557, fair
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 779, good
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 978, good
- Tue 1070, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Aug–Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 24, too small | 3 ft13 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 348kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 35, too small | 4 ft12 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 342kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 47, fair | 6 ft14 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,301kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 53, fair | 8 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,194kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 11 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 57, fair | 7 ft8 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 569kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 8 ft12 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 1,595kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 79, good | 8 ft12 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,507kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 7 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 1,019kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 78, good | 7 ft11 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 1,201kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 70, good | 7 ft10 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 926kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 19°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 04:12 +0.3 mLow 08:27 +0.1 mHigh 14:15 +0.6 mLow 21:52 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:00 +0.4 mLow 10:14 −0.1 mHigh 15:46 +0.6 mLow 22:49 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:39 +0.6 mLow 11:31 −0.3 mHigh 17:08 +0.5 mLow 23:39 −0.8 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 Aug–Nov
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
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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 and its town
Jalama on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Tarantulas 0.3 km away
- Whitey's 6.7 km away
- Del Morida 7.2 km away
- Government Point 7.2 km away
- Perkos 7.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Jalama
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (229°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (49°). It is sheltered 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 350 m out (1 in 33). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually August, September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Jalama. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 16°C: 3/2 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$1,200–US$2,160 each
about US$1,200–US$2,160 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 ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$529 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,200–US$2,160 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Jalama
1 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Jalama its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Jalama, 0 km (about 5 min by car)
About US$114 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 7h 45m
About 7h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 1h 20m by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.