Is it worth the trip?
41Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: too small (2 ft swell at 13 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 109kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 74kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 127kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 175kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 129kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 31kJ
- Wind
- WSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 250, fair
- Tue 327, too small
- Wed 439, too small
- Thu 536, too small
- Fri 643, too small
- Sat 752, fair
- Sun 844, too small
- Mon 920, too small
- Tue 1022, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Apr–Jun5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 50, fair | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 111kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft12 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 39, too small | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 74kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 43, too small | 2 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 127kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 52, fair | 2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 175kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 44, too small | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 129kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 29°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 05:55 −0.3 mHigh 12:16 +0.1 mLow 17:08 −0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:15 +0.3 mLow 07:16 −0.3 mHigh 13:50 +0.1 mLow 19:03 −0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:41 +0.3 mLow 08:23 −0.3 mHigh 14:57 +0.3 mLow 20:43 −0.1 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–Jun
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 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
Telos Island, Nias 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 Telos Island, Nias
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (260°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (80°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 29°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May and June, with about 5 good days in 7; in November, about 2. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Teluk Dalam, 87 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Bukittinggi, 237 km. Nearest airport: Binaka Airport (GNS), 150 km.
Water about 29°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$1,150–US$2,320 each
about US$1,150–US$2,320 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 ORD to PDG, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG and KUL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$951–US$1,970 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$107–US$194 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$47–US$74 |
| Total | about US$1,150–US$2,320 |
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 237 km away
No town nearby
Teluk Dalam, 87 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Bukittinggi, 237 km. Nearest airport: Binaka Airport (GNS), 150 km.
See places to stay near Bukittinggi, 237 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 39h 40m
About 39h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → PDG, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), then 8h 30m by road
Flights ORD → PDG on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.