Is it worth the trip?
14Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: too small (5 ft swell at 7 s), 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 89kJ
- Wind
- SW 5 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Tue 3 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 93kJ
- Wind
- WSW 15 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Wed 4 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 165kJ
- Wind
- WSW 20 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 341kJ
- Wind
- W 11 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 75kJ
- Wind
- WSW 20 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- WSW 15 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 221kJ
- Wind
- SSW 9 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 118, too small
- Mon 210, too small
- Tue 311, too small
- Wed 48, too small
- Thu 522, too small
- Fri 66, too small
- Sat 73, too small
- Sun 823, too small
- Mon 921, too small
- Tue 1041, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 7–20 ftof swell
- Water 10 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
Ulla does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 18, too small | 4 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 141kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 9°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | wind from the south-west, 5 knots | 9°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 11, too small | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 93kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 15 knots | 10°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 8, too small | 5 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 20 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 22, too small | 5 ft8 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 341kJ | wind from the west, 11 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 6, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 75kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 20 knots | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft8 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 15 knots | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 23, too small | 5 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 221kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 9 knots, offshore | 8°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 21, too small | 4 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 183kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 17 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 41, too small | 6 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 486kJ | offshorewind from the south, 14 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 NovHigh 02:20 +0.6 mLow 08:24 −0.5 mHigh 14:29 +0.6 mLow 21:16 −0.7 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:39 +0.5 mLow 09:42 −0.4 mHigh 15:43 +0.6 mLow 22:38 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:05 +0.5 mLow 11:07 −0.4 mHigh 17:04 +0.6 mLow 23:55 −0.8 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 and its town
Ulla 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 Ulla
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (359°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (179°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 7–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 161). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 6°C in March, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). No town nearby. Ulla, 0 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Ålesund, 24 km (about 45 min by car). Nearest airport: Ålesund Airport (AES), 14 km.
Water about 10°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$938–US$1,810 each
about US$938–US$1,810 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 AES, estimated from distance and season, changing at AMS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$435–US$904 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$33–US$54 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$382–US$710 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$938–US$1,810 |
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 24 km away
No town nearby
Ulla, 0 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Ålesund, 24 km (about 45 min by car). Nearest airport: Ålesund Airport (AES), 14 km.
See places to stay near Ålesund, 24 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 18h 05m
About 18h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → AES, changing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → AES on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.