The Bend
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
25Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 4 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 45kJ
- Wind
- SSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 125kJ
- Wind
- SSE 11 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 216kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 360kJ
- Wind
- SSW 9 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Mon 9 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 124kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 324, too small
- Wed 423, too small
- Thu 519, poor
- Fri 615, poor
- Sat 711, too small
- Sun 831, poor
- Mon 932, poor
- Tue 1039, poor
- Wed 1155, fair
- Thu 1224, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 21 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Apr–Jun2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The Bend 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 | 24, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft5 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 45kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, poor | 4 ft6 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 125kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 11 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 15, poor | 5 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 216kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | offshorewind from the west, 4 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 31, poor | 5 ft9 scrumbling1 ft at break (est.) | 360kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 32, poor | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 124kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 39, poor | 5 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 231kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 55, fair | 4 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 11 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | wind from the south-west, 7 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
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:14 +0.3 mLow 09:52 −0.3 mHigh 16:11 +0.7 mLow 23:01 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:16 +0.4 mLow 11:08 −0.4 mHigh 17:16 +0.6 mLow 23:52 −0.6 m
- Thu 5 NovHigh 06:08 +0.5 mLow 12:12 −0.5 mHigh 18:14 +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–Jun
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
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
The Bend 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of The Bend
.jpg){kind=link}
More surf near here
5 places
- South Pacific 0.4 km away
- Terrigal Haven 0.5 km away
- The Ruins 0.5 km away
- Shelfs 0.6 km away
- Spoon bay shory (south side) 1.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Bend
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (81°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (261°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 22). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 18°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7; in January, November and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Terrigal, 0.7 km away (2 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 19 surf spots.
Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,890–US$3,590 each
about US$1,890–US$3,590 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 MDW to SYD, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$926–US$1,920 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$148–US$242 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$356–US$597 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$235 |
| Total | about US$1,890–US$3,590 |
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
2 min by car · 27 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Terrigal its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in The Entrance on Booking.com
20 min by car · 39 places to stay
- Beds in Norah Head on Booking.com
31 min by car · 13 places to stay
About US$134 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 28h 15m
About 28h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SYD, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 1h 25m by road
Flights MDW → SYD 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.