Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 11 s, 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 268kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 220kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 78 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 406kJ
- Wind
- W 10 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 355kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 184kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 164kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 232kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 279, good
- Tue 372, good
- Wed 462, good
- Thu 578, good
- Fri 671, good
- Sat 757, fair
- Sun 832, too small
- Mon 958, fair
- Tue 1069, good
- Wed 1160, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May–Jun, Sep5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Backwash does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 4 ft13 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 426kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 72, good | 4 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 268kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 62, good | 3 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 78, good | 4 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 406kJ | offshorewind from the west, 10 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 71, good | 4 ft12 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 355kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 184kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 164kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 232kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 69, good | 3 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 238kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 60, good | 3 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 168kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 27°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 20:43 +1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:03 −0.9 mHigh 09:12 +0.9 mLow 15:31 −1.0 mHigh 21:55 +1.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:20 −0.9 mHigh 10:29 +0.9 mLow 16:42 −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 May–Jun, Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
Backwash 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 Backwash
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (117°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (297°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 7). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and September, with about 5 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Encanta La Vida, Puerto Jimenez, 1 km. Nearest beds: Zancudo, 22 km (about 40 min by car). Nearest airport: Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM), 16 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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$698–US$1,340 each
about US$698–US$1,340 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 2 November 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$302–US$631 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| 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$698–US$1,340 |
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 22 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Encanta La Vida, Puerto Jimenez, 1 km. Nearest beds: Zancudo, 22 km (about 40 min by car). Nearest airport: Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM), 16 km.
See places to stay near Zancudo, 22 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 16h 05m
About 16h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DAV, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 3h 05m by road
Flights ORD → DAV on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.