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Cow Bay - Moose Rocks, Canada

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

Also within 20 km of Halifax

All 20 on Halifax's map

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Lighthouse DSC01066 - Peggy's Cove Lighthouse
Nova Scotia, the wider area. Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Cow Bay - Moose Rocks

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

The spot faces S (159°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (339°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 143). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 2°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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Halifax. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to YHZ, direct.

    See flights ORD → YHZ · Skyscanner from about £175 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Cow Bay - Moose Rocks.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

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

    No town with beds to book is nearer Cow Bay - Moose Rocks: 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 Halifax, 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 Halifax · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Halifax · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Cow Bay - Moose Rocks on Google Maps · Directions

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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.

Forecast

Cow Bay - Moose Rocks does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct232 ft7 smushy23kJ9°C
Mon 19Oct132 ft4 smushy17kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct604 ft6 smushy136kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct252 ft6 smushy35kJ11°C
Thu 22Oct126 ft6 smushy209kJ10°C
Fri 23Oct463 ft7 smushy96kJ8°C
Sat 24Oct554 ft7 smushy131kJ8°C
Sun 25Oct233 ft7 smushy66kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct61 ft6 smushy6kJ14°C
Tue 27Oct111 ft4 smushy4kJ12°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to YHZ, then 50 min by road. About 7h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Cow Bay - Moose Rocks

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Cow Bay - Moose Rocks

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 6 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Cow Bay - Moose Rocks

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Cow Bay - Moose Rocks

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to YHZ, then 50 min by road. About 7h 35 door to door

The trip from Halifax, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £665–£1,220 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 ORD to YHZ, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£175–£365
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£665–£1,220

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

Places to eat near Halifax

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Halifax, 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.