drakes bowl
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
27Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 2 ft swell at 5 s, onshore wind, 12 kn (22 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 24kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sat 7 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Mon 9 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- E 16 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 346, fair
- Wed 434, too small
- Thu 534, poor
- Fri 615, too small
- Sat 78, too small
- Sun 87, too small
- Mon 915, too small
- Tue 100, too big
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft5 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 46, fair | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 11 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, poor | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 11 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 15, too small | 1 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 12°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 8, too small | under 1 ft7 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the north, 2 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east, 16 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 193kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 13 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft9 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 501kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 13°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 04:34 −1.5 mHigh 10:32 +1.4 mLow 17:20 −1.6 mHigh 23:34 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:47 −1.3 mHigh 12:12 +1.3 mLow 18:34 −1.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:22 +1.1 mLow 07:02 −1.3 mHigh 13:48 +1.4 mLow 19:45 −1.6 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.
Map
the spot and its town
drakes bowl 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Bovisands Reef 2.7 km away
- Rame Reef Eastern 6.5 km away
- Rame reef 6.7 km away
- Wembury beach 6.9 km away
- Wembury Point 6.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About drakes bowl
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (179°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (359°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Plymouth, 2.4 km away (9 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 3 wind sports spots and 1 kayak spot.
Water about 14°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$1,310–US$2,420 each
about US$1,310–US$2,420 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$436–US$899 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$235 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$282–US$470 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$584 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about US$1,310–US$2,420 |
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
9 min by car · 141 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Plymouth its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Wembury on Booking.com
22 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Holbeton on Booking.com
30 min by car · 4 places to stay
About US$107 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 16h 55m
About 16h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 1h 20m by road
Flights ORD → NQY 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.