Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 2 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 102kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 90kJ
- Wind
- NW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 135kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 115kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Mon 9 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 105kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 31°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 224, too small
- Tue 341, too small
- Wed 428, too small
- Thu 538, too small
- Fri 640, too small
- Sat 726, too small
- Sun 815, too small
- Mon 935, too small
- Tue 1035, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Dec–Feb6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 24, too small | 1 ft13 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 41, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 102kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 90kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 38, too small | 3 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 135kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 40, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 115kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 15, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 91kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 31°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 01:48 −1.0 mHigh 07:57 +1.0 mLow 14:19 −1.1 mHigh 20:42 +1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:03 −0.9 mHigh 09:11 +0.9 mLow 15:31 −1.0 mHigh 21:54 +1.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:20 −0.9 mHigh 10:29 +0.9 mLow 16:43 −1.0 mHigh 23:03 +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 Dec–Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 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
Zancudo Beach 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Zancudo Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (257°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (77°). It is sheltered 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 800 m out (1 in 82). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in November, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually January, February and December, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Zancudo, 1.2 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 28°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$884–US$1,650 each
about US$884–US$1,650 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 DAV, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$301–US$630 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$208–US$389 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$94–US$154 |
| Total | about US$884–US$1,650 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Zancudo
about 5 min by car · 6 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Zancudo its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$74 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 15h 45m
About 15h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DAV, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 2h 45m by road
Flights ORD → DAV on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.