El canal
Surf spot · Dominican Republic
Is it worth the trip?
55Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 7 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 152kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 121kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- WNW 5 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 91kJ
- Wind
- W 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 57kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 69kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 103kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Tue 369, good
- Wed 467, good
- Thu 549, fair
- Fri 635, poor
- Sat 725, too small
- Sun 840, too small
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1048, fair
- Wed 1132, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
El canal does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 69, good | 4 ft7 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 152kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 67, good | 3 ft7 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 121kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 49, fair | 3 ft7 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, poor | 3 ft7 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 91kJ | wind from the west, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 57kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 40, too small | 3 ft7 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 3 ft8 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 103kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft8 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 28°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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:25 +0.2 mLow 08:21 −0.2 mHigh 14:53 +0.3 mLow 21:17 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:32 +0.3 mLow 09:36 −0.2 mHigh 15:50 +0.3 mLow 22:06 −0.2 m
- Thu 5 NovHigh 04:35 +0.3 mLow 10:47 −0.2 mHigh 16:44 +0.2 mLow 22:52 −0.2 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 Nov
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
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 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 Wed 4 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
El canal 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 El canal
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (5°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (185°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sosúa, 4.7 km away (8 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 4 dive sites.
Water about 29°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$617–US$1,150 each
about US$617–US$1,150 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 POP, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$537 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$121–US$195 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$134–US$242 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$617–US$1,150 |
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
7 min by car · 69 places to stay
about US$47/nightcountry average
About Cabarete its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Sosúa on Booking.com
8 min by car · 94 places to stay
- Beds in Río San Juan on Booking.com
56 min by car · 11 places to stay
About US$47 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 11h 35m
About 11h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → POP, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), then 25 min by road
Flights MDW → POP 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.