Caerhays, UK

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Pentewan, 8 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: NQY (NQY), 25 km.

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About Caerhays

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

The spot faces S (172°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (352°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–18 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Pentewan, 8 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: NQY (NQY), 25 km.

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

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From Chicago: about 16 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).
See flights ORD → NQY · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAd
Getting there. 45 min from the airport to Caerhays.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Pentewan, 8 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: NQY (NQY), 25 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Caerhays · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Caerhays · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Caerhays 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 Caerhays, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	16, too small	3 ft5 smushy	26kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore	12°C
Mon 19Oct	8, too small	2 ft5 smushy	25kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots	12°C
Tue 20Oct	4, too small	1 ft5 shollow	7kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots	14°C
Wed 21Oct	7, too small	3 ft9 shollow	112kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 21 knots	12°C
Thu 22Oct	16, too small	4 ft6 smushy	103kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 6 knots	14°C
Fri 23Oct	14, too small	3 ft12 shollow	192kJ	wind from the north-west, 28 knots, offshore	10°C
Sat 24Oct	4, too small	2 ft8 shollow	50kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 10 knots	14°C
Sun 25Oct	14, too small	4 ft8 shollow	208kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 17 knots	13°C
Mon 26Oct	7, too small	2 ft7 shollow	54kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 12 knots	13°C
Tue 27Oct	9, too small	3 ft7 shollow	73kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 16 knots	14°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
Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 45 min by road. About 16h 20 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 26 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 45 min by road. About 16h 20 door to door

Rough cost

About £800–£1,550 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 NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£380–£795
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£45–£75
Food	7 days eating out	£240–£445
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£100–£170
Total		£800–£1,550

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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