Madiba's Hat
Surf spot · South Africa
Is it worth the trip?
40Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 7 ft swell at 9 s
Tue 3 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 s
- Energy
- 325kJ
- Wind
- W 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 s
- Energy
- 246kJ
- Wind
- WSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 s
- Energy
- 781kJ
- Wind
- NW 15 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Fri 6 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft8 s
- Energy
- 647kJ
- Wind
- WNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sat 7 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 s
- Energy
- 344kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 s
- Energy
- 737kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 s
- Energy
- 197kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 221, poor
- Tue 332, too small
- Wed 428, too small
- Thu 528, poor
- Fri 640, poor
- Sat 738, poor
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 918, too small
- Tue 1018, too small
- Wed 1175, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Apr–May1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 21, poor | 7 ft9 s8 ft at break (est.) | 639kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 13 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 32, too small | 5 ft9 s7 ft at break (est.) | 325kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 28, too small | 4 ft8 s6 ft at break (est.) | 246kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 1 knot | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 28, poor | 7 ft9 s8 ft at break (est.) | 781kJ | wind from the north-west, 15 knots | 17°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 40, poor | 8 ft8 s8 ft at break (est.) | 647kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 11 knots | 17°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 38, poor | 6 ft7 s7 ft at break (est.) | 344kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 7 ft9 s9 ft at break (est.) | 737kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 18, too small | 4 ft8 s5 ft at break (est.) | 197kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 18, too small | 5 ft12 s7 ft at break (est.) | 638kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 75, good | 8 ft10 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,105kJ | wind from the north-west, 5 knots | 17°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 02:50 −0.3 mHigh 09:17 +0.4 mLow 15:59 −0.4 mHigh 22:06 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:26 −0.4 mHigh 10:44 +0.5 mLow 17:24 −0.5 mHigh 23:29 +0.4 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:40 −0.4 mHigh 11:51 +0.6 mLow 18:24 −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 Apr–May
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 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
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Madiba's Hat on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Madiba's Hat
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Madiba's Hat
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (209°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (29°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 14°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest beds: Blouberg, 11 km (about 20 min by car). Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 2 dive sites.
Water about 15°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$1,140–US$2,270 each
about US$1,140–US$2,270 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 MDW to CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$859–US$1,780 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$148–US$268 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$67–US$107 |
| Total | about US$1,140–US$2,270 |
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 11 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 beds: Blouberg, 11 km (about 20 min by car). Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km.
See places to stay near Blouberg, 11 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 26h 35m
About 26h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CPT, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → CPT 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.