Is it worth the trip?
19Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 3 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft14 ssoft
- Energy
- 241kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 144kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 238kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 88kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 362kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 216kJ
- Wind
- SSE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 74kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 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 328, poor
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 867, good
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 1037, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Apr–Jun4 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 ft10 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 258kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 28, poor | 3 ft14 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 241kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 144kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 5 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 238kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 88kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft12 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 362kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 67, good | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 216kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 74kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 37, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | wind from the south-west, 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 05:46 −0.3 mHigh 11:51 +0.1 mLow 17:06 −0.1 mHigh 23:52 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 07:03 −0.3 mHigh 13:30 +0.1 mLow 19:03 −0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:23 +0.3 mLow 08:12 −0.3 mHigh 14:44 +0.3 mLow 20:44 −0.2 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 beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May4of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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 hole 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 The hole
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (173°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (353°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 950 m out (1 in 96). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 29°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually April, May and June, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Betumonga West Sumatra, 48 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Katiet, 99 km. Nearest airport: Fatmawati Soekarno Airport (BKS), 239 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$1,170–US$2,350 each
about US$1,170–US$2,350 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 BKS, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG and CGK, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$965–US$2,000 |
| 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$1,170–US$2,350 |
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 99 km away
No town nearby
Betumonga West Sumatra, 48 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Katiet, 99 km. Nearest airport: Fatmawati Soekarno Airport (BKS), 239 km.
See places to stay near Katiet, 99 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 40h 45m
About 40h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → BKS, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), then 8h 30m by road
Flights ORD → BKS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.