Pulau Manukan
Surf spot · Malaysia
That date has passed, so this trip starts today.
Is it worth the trip?
56Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 2 ft swell at 5 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 11kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Wed 4 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Thu 5 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NW 1 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 9kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 11kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Mon 9 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 349, fair
- Wed 433, too small
- Thu 545, fair
- Fri 650, fair
- Sat 757, fair
- Sun 866, good
- Mon 965, good
- Tue 1070, good
- Wed 1172, good
- Thu 1273, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–5 ftof swell
- Water 30 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Sep–Nov3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 49, fair | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 30°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 33, too small | 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 45, fair | 1 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 50, fair | 1 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 57, fair | 2 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 66, good | 2 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 65, good | 2 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 70, good | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 29°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 72, good | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 46kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 73, good | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°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 03:28 +0.6 mLow 12:54 −0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:13 +0.5 mLow 13:47 −0.6 mHigh 21:26 +0.2 m
- Thu 5 NovLow 01:43 +0.1 mHigh 07:11 +0.3 mLow 14:29 −0.4 mHigh 21:14 +0.3 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 Sep–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 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
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Pulau Manukan 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 Pulau Manukan
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (295°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (115°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea is about 28°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually September, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Kota Kinabalu, 8 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 30°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$1,210–US$2,380 each
about US$1,210–US$2,380 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 ORD to BKI, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$886–US$1,830 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$101–US$168 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$114–US$208 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,210–US$2,380 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Kota Kinabalu
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 · 348 places to stay
about US$40/nightcountry average
About Kota Kinabalu its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$40 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 26h 35m
About 26h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → BKI, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → BKI 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.