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Butterbox
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
33Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 5 ft swell at 7 s
Tue 3 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 88kJ
- Wind
- SSE 14 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 207kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 217kJ
- Wind
- S 13 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 172kJ
- Wind
- SW 11 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 341, poor
- Wed 431, poor
- Thu 513, poor
- Fri 643, poor
- Sat 717, too small
- Sun 813, poor
- Mon 936, poor
- Tue 1024, poor
- Wed 1131, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 20 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in May3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 89kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 41, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 31, poor | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 13, poor | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 88kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 14 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 43, poor | 5 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 207kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | offshorewind from the west, 6 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 13, poor | 5 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 217kJ | wind from the south, 13 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 36, poor | 5 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 172kJ | wind from the south-west, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 24, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | wind from the north, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 31, poor | 4 ft8 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 169kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 37, poor | 4 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 139kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 16 knots | 18°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 NovHigh 03:03 +0.3 mLow 08:31 −0.3 mHigh 15:02 +0.7 mLow 22:03 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:15 +0.3 mLow 09:54 −0.3 mHigh 16:12 +0.7 mLow 23:02 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:17 +0.4 mLow 11:10 −0.4 mHigh 17:16 +0.6 mLow 23:54 −0.6 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 in May
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
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 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
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 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, its town, photos
Butterbox 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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Photos of Butterbox
More surf near here
5 places
- Dontals 0.3 km away
- Makaha 0.4 km away
- White Rock 0.5 km away
- Monkeys 0.6 km away
- Long Reef Bombie 0.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Butterbox
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (110°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (290°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 23). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 18°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Manly, 6.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 20 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot, 2 dive sites and 1 kayak spot.
Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,790–US$3,420 each
about US$1,790–US$3,420 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SYD, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$926–US$1,920 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$47–US$74 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$356–US$597 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$235 |
| Total | about US$1,790–US$3,420 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 50 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Manly its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Mona Vale on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Sydney on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 446 places to stay
About US$134 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 27h 35m
About 27h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SYD, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → SYD on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
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.