The Esp
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
4Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: too small (1 ft swell at 9 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tue 3 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- NE 10 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- E 15 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- E 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Sun 8 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 113, too small
- Mon 25, too small
- Tue 32, too small
- Wed 43, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 63, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 83, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 101, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 67kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the east, 15 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the east, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft9 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 9°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft8 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 9°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 10°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 04:05 −3.1 mHigh 10:33 +3.3 mLow 16:44 −3.0 mHigh 23:10 +2.8 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 05:15 −2.5 mHigh 11:44 +2.9 mLow 18:04 −2.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:27 +2.4 mLow 06:40 −2.3 mHigh 13:03 +2.7 mLow 19:33 −2.5 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, its town, photos
The Esp on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of The Esp
More surf near here
5 places
- Coney Beach 0.7 km away
- Golf 0.9 km away
- The Point 1.1 km away
- Rest Bay 2 km away
- Sker 4.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Esp
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (170°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (350°). 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 750 m out (1 in 76). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Porthcawl, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 1 climbing area.
Water about 13°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$1,230–US$2,280 each
about US$1,230–US$2,280 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 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to CWL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$435–US$904 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$60–US$100 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about US$1,230–US$2,280 |
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
1 min by car · 51 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Porthcawl its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pyle on Booking.com
7 min by car · 8 places to stay
- Beds in Ogmore on Booking.com
11 min by car · 5 places to stay
About US$107 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 15m
About 16h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CWL, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 45 min by road
Flights ORD → CWL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.