Bolivar, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Galveston, 40 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: BPT (BPT), 64 km.

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About Bolivar

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

The spot faces SE (153°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (333°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 4.5 km out (1 in 455). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually January, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Galveston, 40 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: BPT (BPT), 64 km.

Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 6 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), direct.
See flights MDW → HOU · Skyscanner from about £150 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 40 from the airport to Bolivar.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Galveston, 40 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: BPT (BPT), 64 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Bolivar · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Bolivar · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Bolivar on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Bolivar, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	8, too small	1 ft3 smushy	2kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots	20°C
Mon 19Oct	11, too small	2 ft4 smushy	7kJ	wind from the east, 8 knots	22°C
Tue 20Oct	11, too small	1 ft4 smushy	5kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots	24°C
Wed 21Oct	12, too small	2 ft5 smushy	12kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots	23°C
Thu 22Oct	11, too small	1 ft4 smushy	4kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots	24°C
Fri 23Oct	8, too small	1 ft4 smushy	2kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots	24°C
Sat 24Oct	3, too small	1 ft4 smushy	3kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 12 knots	25°C
Sun 25Oct	7, too small	2 ft5 smushy	12kJ	wind from the east, 12 knots	23°C
Mon 26Oct	13, too small	2 ft5 smushy	13kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots	22°C
Tue 27Oct	11, too small	2 ft3 smushy	5kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots	23°C

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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight MDW to HOU, then 1h 40 by road. About 6h 05 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight MDW to HOU, then 1h 40 by road. About 6h 05 door to door

Rough cost

About £675–£1,240 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 MDW to HOU, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag	£150–£315
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£115–£190
Food	7 days eating out	£260–£480
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£115–£190
Total		£675–£1,240

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

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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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