Nightcliff beach
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
3Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: too small (under 1 ft swell at 10 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft10 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- WSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 32°C
Wed 4 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 33°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 34°C
Fri 6 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 33°C
Sat 7 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft14 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ESE 2 kn
- Temp
- 32°C
Sun 8 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 32°C
Mon 9 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 32°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 23, too small
- Tue 34, too small
- Wed 43, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 63, too small
- Sat 72, too small
- Sun 82, too small
- Mon 92, too small
- Tue 101, too small
- Wed 111, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–6 ftof swell
- Water 31 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 32°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft10 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 1 knot | 32°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 33°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft7 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 34°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 33°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft14 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 32°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 32°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 NovHigh 00:04 +1.9 mLow 06:17 −0.6 mHigh 11:35 +1.0 mLow 18:10 −1.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:17 +1.6 mLow 08:11 −0.6 mHigh 13:12 +0.6 mLow 19:54 −1.4 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:41 +1.5 mLow 09:48 −1.0 mHigh 15:15 +0.7 mLow 21:43 −1.2 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Nightcliff beach 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Nightcliff beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (328°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (148°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 7.1 km out (1 in 714). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 31°C in November, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Darwin, 8.7 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 31°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$1,770–US$3,400 each
about US$1,770–US$3,400 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to DRW, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and BNE, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$933–US$1,940 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$356–US$597 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$235 |
| Total | about US$1,770–US$3,400 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Darwin
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 106 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Darwin its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 33h 35m
About 33h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → DRW, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE), then 25 min by road
Flights MDW → DRW on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.