Is it worth the trip?
26Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 2 ft swell at 4 s
Mon 2 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- NNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NNE 13 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 22kJ
- Wind
- NNE 16 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 110, poor
- Mon 28, poor
- Tue 338, poor
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 519, too small
- Fri 614, poor
- Sat 733, too small
- Sun 831, poor
- Mon 934, poor
- Tue 1019, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best May–Aug2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 10, poor | 2 ft4 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 20 knots | 14°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 8, poor | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 15 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 38, poor | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 13 knots | 15°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, too small | 1 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 14, poor | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 22kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 16 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 33, too small | 1 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 31, poor | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 34, poor | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the east, 10 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, poor | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 53, fair | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 13°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 NovHigh 02:27 +1.3 mLow 08:35 −1.4 mHigh 14:57 +1.4 mLow 21:17 −1.3 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:32 +1.1 mLow 09:40 −1.1 mHigh 16:06 +1.2 mLow 22:29 −1.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:49 +1.0 mLow 10:56 −1.0 mHigh 17:22 +1.1 mLow 23:46 −1.1 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 May–Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 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
The Glen 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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More surf near here
4 places
- Cable bay 6.5 km away
- Cable Bay Reef 7 km away
- Delaware bay 10 km away
- Magnets 15 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Glen
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (335°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (155°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 48). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Wakapuaka.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 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$1,670–US$3,170 each
about US$1,670–US$3,170 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 MDW to NSN, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$851–US$1,760 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$563 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$221 |
| Total | about US$1,670–US$3,170 |
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 · 2 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Wakapuaka its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Cable Bay on Booking.com
10 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Nelson on Booking.com
24 min by car · 4 places to stay
Nearest town: Wakapuaka, 2 km (about 5 min by car)
About US$127 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 29h 20m
About 29h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → NSN, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 35 min by road
Flights MDW → NSN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.