Aktau, Kazakhstan

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Sevan, is 618 km away. Nearest airport: SCO (SCO), 24 km.

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About Aktau

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (240°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (60°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea is about 7°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 22°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually January, February, October and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Sevan, is 618 km away. Nearest airport: SCO (SCO), 24 km.

Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 22 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SCO, changing at İstanbul Airport (IST). About 8 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → SCO · Skyscanner from about £560 returnAd
Getting there. 45 min from the airport to Aktau.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Sevan, is 618 km away. Nearest airport: SCO (SCO), 24 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Aktau · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Aktau · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Aktau on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for beginner surfers at Aktau, each day
Day	Score for beginners	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Mon 19Oct	50, good	2 ft4 s	11kJ	wind from the south-west, 3 knots	24°C
Tue 20Oct	18, too small	1 ft3 s	1kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots	25°C
Wed 21Oct	45, fair	1 ft4 s	7kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 12 knots, offshore	23°C
Thu 22Oct	41, fair	2 ft4 s	7kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots	20°C
Fri 23Oct	37, fair	2 ft4 s	7kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 11 knots	21°C
Sat 24Oct	37, fair	2 ft4 s	7kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots	19°C
Sun 25Oct	34, poor	2 ft4 s	8kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 11 knots	19°C
Mon 26Oct	39, fair	2 ft4 s	11kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 12 knots	19°C
Tue 27Oct	52, good	2 ft4 s	9kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore	19°C
Wed 28Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for beginner surfers. Change dates

Tue 20 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to SCO, changing at IST, then 45 min by road. About 22h door to door
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Aktau
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 1 ft at 4 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Aktau
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 2 ft at 4 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Aktau
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 2 ft at 4 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Aktau
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 2 ft at 4 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Surf Aktau
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 2 ft at 4 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).
Mon 26 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to SCO, changing at IST, then 45 min by road. About 22h door to door

Rough cost

About £855–£1,690 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to SCO, estimated from distance and season, changing at IST, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£560–£1,160
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£40–£70
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£855–£1,690

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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