Is it worth the trip?
24Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 4 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft15 ssoft
- Energy
- 210kJ
- Wind
- SE 8 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 245kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 148kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 245kJ
- Wind
- ESE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 365kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 232kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 100kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 226, too small
- Tue 321, too small
- Wed 424, too small
- Thu 519, too small
- Fri 622, too small
- Sat 732, too small
- Sun 824, too small
- Mon 915, too small
- Tue 1015, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Jul–Aug4 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 26, too small | 4 ft11 ssoft1 ft at break (est.) | 289kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft15 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 210kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 24, too small | 3 ft13 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 245kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft13 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 148kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 22, too small | 3 ft13 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 245kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 32, too small | 4 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 365kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 24, too small | 3 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 232kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 100kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 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 NovLow 05:47 −0.3 mHigh 11:50 +0.1 mLow 17:06 −0.1 mHigh 23:52 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 07:06 −0.3 mHigh 13:32 +0.1 mLow 19:07 −0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:24 +0.3 mLow 08:14 −0.3 mHigh 14:46 +0.3 mLow 20:46 −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.
Best time to go
best Jul–Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 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 and its town
Macaronis 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
- Dutchies 2.7 km away
- Green Bush 8.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Macaronis
Facing, offshore wind, exposure and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (288°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (108°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 159). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 29°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually July and August, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Silabu. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
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$1,250–US$2,470 each
about US$1,250–US$2,470 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 PDG, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG and KUL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$951–US$1,970 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$107–US$194 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$47–US$74 |
| Total | about US$1,250–US$2,470 |
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
about US$33/nightcountry average
About Silabu its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Betumonga West Sumatra on Booking.com
about 10 min by car
Nearest town: Silabu, 0 km (about 5 min by car)
About US$33 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 39h 05m
About 39h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → PDG, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), then 7h 55m by road and boat
Flights ORD → PDG on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.