Is it worth the trip?
72Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 2 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 102kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 90kJ
- Wind
- NW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 135kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 83 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 115kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Mon 9 · 73 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 282, good
- Tue 381, good
- Wed 470, good
- Thu 569, good
- Fri 683, good
- Sat 758, fair
- Sun 834, too small
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1074, good
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
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 82, good | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 97kJ | wind from the south-east, 1 knot | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 81, good | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 102kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 70, good | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 90kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 69, good | 3 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 135kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 83, good | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 115kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 58, fair | 2 ft11 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 34, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 74, good | 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 beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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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.