Knap
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
2Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: too small (1 ft swell at 9 s), 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tue 3 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft16 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- ENE 12 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Sun 8 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 16, too small
- Mon 23, too small
- Tue 32, too small
- Wed 41, too small
- Thu 52, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 72, too small
- Sun 82, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 100, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft9 ssoft1 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft16 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft8 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft7 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 8°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft8 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 8°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 10°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 NovLow 04:32 −3.7 mHigh 11:00 +4.1 mLow 17:09 −3.6 mHigh 23:35 +3.5 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 05:39 −3.1 mHigh 12:07 +3.5 mLow 18:28 −3.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:48 +3.1 mLow 07:06 −2.7 mHigh 13:22 +3.3 mLow 19:59 −3.0 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 and its town
Knap 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
2 places
- Llantwit Major 13.6 km away
- LLantwit 14.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Knap
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (190°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (10°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 92). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in January, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Barry, 2.5 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,190–US$2,220 each
about US$1,190–US$2,220 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 CWL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$435–US$904 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,220 |
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
4 min by car · 20 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Barry its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Llantwit Major on Booking.com
24 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Bridgend on Booking.com
41 min by car · 10 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 15h 50m
About 15h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CWL, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → CWL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.