Is it worth the trip?
62Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 2 ft swell at 11 s
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 364kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 249kJ
- Wind
- NW 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 276kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 247kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 85 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 128kJ
- Wind
- SSE 0 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 83 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 181kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 432, poor
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 662, good
- Sat 785, good
- Sun 874, good
- Mon 983, good
- Tue 1065, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Dec–Mar7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft11 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 398kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft11 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 364kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 32, poor | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 249kJ | wind from the north-west, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 276kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 62, good | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 247kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 85, good | 2 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 128kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 0 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 74, good | 2 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 83, good | 2 ft13 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 181kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 65, good | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 179kJ | wind from the south, 4 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
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:50 −1.0 mHigh 08:59 +1.1 mLow 15:20 −1.1 mHigh 21:46 +1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:05 −0.9 mHigh 10:14 +0.9 mLow 16:32 −1.1 mHigh 22:59 +1.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:22 −1.0 mHigh 11:32 +0.9 mLow 17:44 −1.0 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 Dec–Mar
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May4of 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
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec7of 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
Roca Chica on Google Maps · Directions
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.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Roca Chica
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (189°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (9°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.4 km out (1 in 244). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually January, February, March and December, with about 7 good days in 7; in October, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Boca Chica, 4.4 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 28°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$764–US$1,450 each
about US$764–US$1,450 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 DAV, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$301–US$630 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$74–US$127 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$147–US$248 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$167–US$315 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$74–US$127 |
| Total | about US$764–US$1,450 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Boca Chica
8 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$54/nightcountry average
About Boca Chica its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$54 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 13h 55m
About 13h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DAV, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → DAV on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.