Is it worth the trip?
29Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: too small (4 ft swell at 12 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 531kJ
- Wind
- SSW 9 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tue 3 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 387kJ
- Wind
- SW 5 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 278kJ
- Wind
- SSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 315kJ
- Wind
- SSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 71kJ
- Wind
- SW 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft17 scrumbling
- Energy
- 100kJ
- Wind
- S 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 108kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 138, too small
- Mon 244, too small
- Tue 336, too small
- Wed 427, too small
- Thu 529, too small
- Fri 68, too small
- Sat 712, too small
- Sun 814, too small
- Mon 912, too small
- Tue 1010, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 24 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Pico nerd does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 38, too small | 4 ft13 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 538kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 44, too small | 4 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 531kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 9 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 36, too small | 4 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 387kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 27, too small | 3 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 278kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 315kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft16 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft17 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 100kJ | offshorewind from the south, 6 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 108kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft13 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft13 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 74kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 28°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 02:01 −0.7 mHigh 08:02 +0.7 mLow 14:23 −0.9 mHigh 20:57 +0.8 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:13 −0.6 mHigh 09:15 +0.6 mLow 15:35 −0.8 mHigh 22:10 +0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:33 −0.6 mHigh 10:36 +0.6 mLow 16:52 −0.7 mHigh 23:22 +0.8 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
Pico nerd 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Paco illescas 0.2 km away
- Playero de miramar 0.8 km away
- La Chocolatera 4 km away
- FAE 4.7 km away
- FAE - 3 cruzes 5.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Pico nerd
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (0°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (180°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 70). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 23°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Salinas Santa Elena, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
Water about 24°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$791–US$1,490 each
about US$791–US$1,490 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 MDW to GYE, estimated from distance and season, changing at MIA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$368–US$764 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$134–US$221 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$154–US$281 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$67–US$107 |
| Total | about US$791–US$1,490 |
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
3 min by car · 71 places to stay
about US$47/nightcountry average
About Salinas Santa Elena its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Jose Luis Tamayo on Booking.com
8 min by car · 33 places to stay
- Beds in La Libertad on Booking.com
10 min by car · 30 places to stay
About US$47 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 16h 20m
About 16h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → GYE, changing at Miami International Airport (MIA), then 2h 25m by road
Flights MDW → GYE on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.