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Altona Pier, Australia

Stay in Melbourne: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Melbourne

Watch this spot We email you when Altona Pier is worth the trip.

Altona Beach from Pier, Vic, jjron, 10.01.2016
Altona Beach. Photo: John O'Neill (jjron) You can contact me about this image, its re-use, or to…, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Altona Pier

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

The spot faces S (162°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (342°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 5.9 km out (1 in 588). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 11°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 22°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Melbourne. Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 28 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Melbourne Airport (MEL), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

    See flights MDW → MEL · Skyscanner from about £855 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 45 min from the airport to Altona Pier.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Melbourne, 13 km (about 25 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Altona Pier: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Melbourne, 13 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Melbourne · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Melbourne · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Altona Pier on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Altona Pier does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct1under 1 ft4 s0kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct1under 1 ft8 s1kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct21 ft3 smushy1kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct2under 1 ft9 s2kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct41 ft12 s9kJ30°C
Fri 23Oct31 ft9 s4kJ30°C
Sat 24Oct3under 1 ft11 s5kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct42 ft4 smushy8kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct41 ft5 smushy5kJ15°C
Tue 27Oct31 ft10 s6kJ17°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

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. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. 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 Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 45 min by road. About 28h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: under 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: under 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 45 min by road. About 28h 30 door to door

The trip from Melbourne, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,520–£2,935 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£855–£1,780
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£40–£65
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£240–£395
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£105–£175
Total£1,520–£2,935

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

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Melbourne, 13 km (about 25 min by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.