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Sandside
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Every day scores the same, usually
Mon 2 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Tue 3 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 38 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 11 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2to 8usually | 5 ft9 s | 311kJ | SEoffshore | 10°C |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
Best time to go
No month stands out
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
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 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
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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, its town, photos
Sandside on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears how it usually is on these dates, from past years' weather, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Sandside
More surf near here
4 places
- Melvich 6.7 km away
- Brimms Ness 9.4 km away
- The Bowl 9.5 km away
- Torrisdale Bay 27.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Sandside
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (352°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (172°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 50). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 13°C in July, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Melvich, 8.2 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 11°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,290–US$2,390 each
about US$1,290–US$2,390 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 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to INV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$422–US$871 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,390 |
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
about 15 min by car · 4 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Melvich its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Thurso on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 28 places to stay
- Beds in Bettyhill on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 8 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 18h
About 18h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → INV, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 2h 15m by road
Flights ORD → INV on your dates · Skyscanner
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.