Staying Home Sucks, home

Colac Bay

Surf spot · New Zealand

Is it worth the trip?

29Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Sat 7: 6 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 38 out of 100

Swell
6 ft9 s
Energy
526kJ
Wind
SSW 3 kn
Temp
14°C

Wed 4 · 38 out of 100

Swell
5 ft10 s
Energy
451kJ
Wind
ENE 3 kn
Temp
16°C

Thu 5 · 17 out of 100

Swell
3 ft8 s
Energy
142kJ
Wind
NE 4 kn
Temp
17°C

Fri 6 · 15 out of 100

Swell
3 ft9 s
Energy
139kJ
Wind
WSW 7 kn
Temp
17°C

Sat 7 · 39 out of 100

Swell
6 ft11 s
Energy
968kJ
Wind
E 6 kn
Temp
15°C

Sun 8 · 16 out of 100

Swell
7 ft10 s
Energy
961kJ
Wind
SE 16 kn
Temp
11°C

Mon 9 · 15 out of 100

Swell
5 ft10 s
Energy
514kJ
Wind
ESE 12 kn
Temp
13°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 25, too small
  2. Tue 338, poor
  3. Wed 438, too small
  4. Thu 517, too small
  5. Fri 615, too small
  6. Sat 739, poor
  7. Sun 816, poor
  8. Mon 915, too small
  9. Tue 1020, too small
  10. Wed 1135, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
  • Offshore: NWwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 5–20 ftof swell
  • Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots

Full forecast

every day, every number

Colac Bay does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Colac Bay, each day
DayScorefor ExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov5, too small3 ft10 s219kJwind from the west-south-west, 14 knots14°C
Tue 3Nov38, poor6 ft9 s526kJwind from the south-south-west, 3 knots14°C
Wed 4Nov38, too small5 ft10 s451kJwind from the east-north-east, 3 knots16°C
Thu 5Nov17, too small3 ft8 s142kJwind from the north-east, 4 knots17°C
Fri 6Nov15, too small3 ft9 s139kJwind from the west-south-west, 7 knots17°C
Sat 7Nov39, poor6 ft11 s968kJwind from the east, 6 knots15°C
Sun 8Nov16, poor7 ft10 s961kJwind from the south-east, 16 knots11°C
Mon 9Nov15, too small5 ft10 s514kJwind from the east-south-east, 12 knots13°C
Tue 10Nov20, too small4 ft10 s259kJwind from the west, 2 knots15°C
Wed 11Nov35, too small6 ft10 s612kJwind from the south-south-west, 7 knots11°C
Thu 12Nov33, too small5 ft11 s658kJwind from the west, 13 knots11°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

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

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 Colac Bay

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces SE (154°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (334°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 11°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Riverton, 9 km away (about 20 min by car).

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,740–US$3,300 each

about US$1,740–US$3,300 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to IVC, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bagabout US$886–US$1,830
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$74–US$121
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$342–US$564
Food7 days eating outabout US$302–US$564
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$134–US$221
Totalabout US$1,740–US$3,300

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Riverton

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Closest

Riverton

about 20 min by car · 9 places to stay

about US$127/nightcountry average

See 9 places to stay in Riverton · Booking.com

About Riverton its beds, food and every spot near it

About US$127 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 30h 30m

About 30h 30m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → IVC, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 55 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

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