Cylinder, Australia
Also within 20 km of Point Lookout
- Pt Lookout Surf spot · 0.3 km from Point Lookout
- Deadman's Surf spot · 0.4 km from Point Lookout
- Main Beach Surf spot · 1.2 km from Point Lookout
Watch this spot We email you when Cylinder is worth the trip.
About Cylinder
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NE (27°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (207°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 85). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 22°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 27°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Point Lookout, 1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. 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 27 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Brisbane International Airport (BNE), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
See flights MDW → BNE · Skyscanner from about £795 returnAdGetting there. 1 h from the airport to Cylinder.
Accommodation.
Stay in Point LookoutAd
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 Point Lookout (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Point Lookout 2 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 29 places to stay · where Cylinder stays
Places to stay in Point Lookout · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Point Lookout · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Point Lookout · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury Where it is
Cylinder on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
The score for beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, too big | 4 ft5 smushy | 73kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 0, too big | 4 ft5 smushy | 72kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, too big | 4 ft6 smushy | 84kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 8, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 70kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 7, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 45kJ | wind from the north-east, 14 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 3, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 65kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 14 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 19, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 41kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 22, poor | 2 ft6 smushy | 40kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 27, poor | 3 ft5 smushy | 36kJ | wind from the north-west, 9 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 28, poor | 2 ft4 smushy | 14kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 25, too small | 1 ft6 smushy | 10kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 8 knots, offshore | 20°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 beginner surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 1h by road. About 27h 15 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 15 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 28 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 1h by road. About 27h 15 door to door
The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Point Lookout each day: Cylinder, Deadman's, Main Beach, Pt Lookout.
Rough cost
About £1,490–£2,855 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to BNE, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £795–£1,650 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £70–£115 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £240–£395 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £245–£455 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £105–£175 |
| Total | £1,490–£2,855 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.