Staying Home Sucks, home

Madiba's Sack

Surf spot · South Africa

Is it worth the trip?

35Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 8 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 45 out of 100

Swell
3 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
136kJ
Wind
ENE 2 kn
Temp
20°C

Wed 4 · 58 out of 100

Swell
4 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
234kJ
Wind
SSW 3 kn
Temp
18°C

Thu 5 · 10 out of 100

Swell
2 ft11 smushy
Energy
122kJ
Wind
NW 12 kn
Temp
18°C

Fri 6 · 0 out of 100

Swell
8 ft8 smushy
Energy
656kJ
Wind
NW 13 kn
Temp
17°C

Sat 7 · 23 out of 100

Swell
5 ft7 smushy
Energy
188kJ
Wind
SSW 8 kn
Temp
17°C

Sun 8 · 0 out of 100

Swell
8 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
776kJ
Wind
SE 8 kn
Temp
22°C

Mon 9 · 47 out of 100

Swell
4 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
202kJ
Wind
E 4 kn
Temp
19°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 216, poor
  2. Tue 345, fair
  3. Wed 458, fair
  4. Thu 510, too small
  5. Fri 60, too big
  6. Sat 723, poor
  7. Sun 80, too big
  8. Mon 947, fair
  9. Tue 1040, poor

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Wtakes swell from the W
  • Offshore: Ewind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 2–9 ftof swell
  • Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots

Full forecast

every day, every number

Madiba's Sack does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Madiba's Sack, each day
DayScorefor Inter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov16, poor5 ft9 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.)423kJwind from the south, 15 knots19°C
Tue 3Nov45, fair3 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)136kJwind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore20°C
Wed 4Nov58, fair4 ft8 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.)234kJwind from the south-south-west, 3 knots18°C
Thu 5Nov10, too small2 ft11 smushy4 ft at break (est.)122kJwind from the north-west, 12 knots18°C
Fri 6Nov0, too big8 ft8 smushy9 ft at break (est.)656kJwind from the north-west, 13 knots17°C
Sat 7Nov23, poor5 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.)188kJwind from the south-south-west, 8 knots17°C
Sun 8Nov0, too big8 ft9 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.)776kJwind from the south-east, 8 knots22°C
Mon 9Nov47, fair4 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)202kJwind from the east, 4 knots, offshore19°C
Tue 10Nov40, poor5 ft11 shollow7 ft at break (est.)584kJwind from the west-south-west, 9 knots18°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 02:49 −0.3 mHigh 09:17 +0.4 mLow 15:59 −0.4 mHigh 22:06 +0.3 m
  • Tue 3 NovLow 04:26 −0.3 mHigh 10:44 +0.5 mLow 17:24 −0.4 mHigh 23:29 +0.4 m
  • Wed 4 NovLow 05:40 −0.4 mHigh 11:51 +0.6 mLow 18:24 −0.6 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

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.

Surf spot

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About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Madiba's Sack

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces W (284°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (104°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 23). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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). No town nearby. Nearest beds: Melkbosstrand, 11 km (about 20 min by car). Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 30 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 dive site.

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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bagabout US$858–US$1,780
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$67–US$114
Food7 days eating outabout US$147–US$268
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$67–US$107
Totalabout 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

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

No town nearby

Nearest beds: Melkbosstrand, 11 km (about 20 min by car). Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 30 km.

See places to stay near Melkbosstrand, 11 km away · Booking.com

Getting there: about 26h 40m

About 26h 40m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → CPT, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), then 50 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.