The Esp
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
3Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft14 s
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- ENE 12 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- E 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- E 11 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft1 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Mon 9 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- E 11 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 32, too small
- Wed 44, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 63, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 80, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 101, too small
- Wed 119, too small
- Thu 124, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The Esp does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft14 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft12 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft9 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | wind from the east, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft9 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft1 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft9 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 9°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 11°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 4, too small | 2 ft4 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north, 15 knots, offshore | 6°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 00:27 +2.4 mLow 06:40 −2.3 mHigh 13:03 +2.7 mLow 19:33 −2.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 01:46 +2.5 mLow 08:06 −2.4 mHigh 14:17 +2.9 mLow 20:48 −2.8 m
- Thu 5 NovHigh 02:55 +2.8 mLow 09:14 −2.8 mHigh 15:20 +3.3 mLow 21:47 −3.2 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
The Esp 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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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of The Esp
More surf near here
5 places
- Coney Beach 0.7 km away
- Golf 0.9 km away
- The Point 1.1 km away
- Rest Bay 2 km away
- Sker 4.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Esp
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (170°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (350°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 76). 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 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Porthcawl, 0.1 km away (1 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 1 climbing area.
Water about 13°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$1,230–US$2,290 each
about US$1,230–US$2,290 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 3 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to CWL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$436–US$905 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$60–US$101 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$282–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$1,230–US$2,290 |
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
1 min by car · 51 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Porthcawl its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pyle on Booking.com
6 min by car · 8 places to stay
- Beds in Bridgend on Booking.com
15 min by car · 10 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 3 November 2026.
Getting there: about 16h 15m
About 16h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CWL, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 45 min by road
Flights ORD → CWL 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.