Madiba's Hat
Surf spot · South Africa
Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 8 s
Mon 2 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 s
- Energy
- 462kJ
- Wind
- SSE 13 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tue 3 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 148kJ
- Wind
- NE 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 s
- Energy
- 228kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 s
- Energy
- 153kJ
- Wind
- NW 13 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 s
- Energy
- 612kJ
- Wind
- WNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sat 7 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 255kJ
- Wind
- S 9 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 s
- Energy
- 385kJ
- Wind
- S 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 10, too big
- Mon 220, poor
- Tue 348, fair
- Wed 467, good
- Thu 511, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 79, poor
- Sun 88, poor
- Mon 949, fair
- Tue 1018, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Apr–May1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft9 s10 ft at break (est.) | 982kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 20, poor | 5 ft9 s7 ft at break (est.) | 462kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 13 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft8 s5 ft at break (est.) | 148kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 67, good | 4 ft8 s6 ft at break (est.) | 228kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 11, poor | 5 ft6 s5 ft at break (est.) | 153kJ | wind from the north-west, 13 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 s8 ft at break (est.) | 612kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 11 knots | 17°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 9, poor | 5 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 255kJ | wind from the south, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, poor | 6 ft8 s7 ft at break (est.) | 385kJ | wind from the south, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 49, fair | 4 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 128kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 18, too small | 3 ft12 s4 ft at break (est.) | 185kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 18°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 01:19 −0.4 mHigh 07:47 +0.4 mLow 14:13 −0.3 mHigh 20:26 +0.3 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:50 −0.3 mHigh 09:17 +0.4 mLow 15:59 −0.4 mHigh 22:06 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:26 −0.4 mHigh 10:44 +0.5 mLow 17:24 −0.5 mHigh 23:29 +0.4 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 Apr–May
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
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Madiba's Hat on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Madiba's Hat
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Madiba's Hat
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (209°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (29°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 14°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest beds: Blouberg, 11 km (about 20 min by car). Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 2 dive sites.
Water about 15°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$1,140–US$2,260 each
about US$1,140–US$2,260 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$858–US$1,780 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$147–US$268 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$67–US$107 |
| Total | about US$1,140–US$2,260 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 11 km away
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Blouberg, 11 km (about 20 min by car). Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km.
See places to stay near Blouberg, 11 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 26h 35m
About 26h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CPT, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → CPT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.