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Dunes, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Noordhoek

All 42 on Noordhoek's map

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

About Dunes

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

The spot faces W (276°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (96°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 57). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Noordhoek, 2.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 14 surf spots and 1 dive site.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 26 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

    See flights MDW → CPT · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Dunes.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in NoordhoekAd

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

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

    See all places to stay 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 Noordhoek · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Noordhoek · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Dunes on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct479 ft9 ssoft1,241kJ15°C
Mon 19Oct488 ft8 ssoft741kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct275 ft8 smushy298kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct189 ft8 smushy1,025kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct388 ft8 smushy696kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct557 ft8 ssoft662kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct265 ft8 smushy241kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct52 ft10 scrumbling78kJ20°C
Mon 26Oct164 ft8 ssoft195kJ19°C
Tue 27Oct163 ft8 ssoft85kJ23°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 50 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Noordhoek Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (16 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 30 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Noordhoek Beach

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 8 ft at 8 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Dunes

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 34 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 50 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Noordhoek each day: Dunes, Kakapo, Noordhoek Beach.

The trip from Noordhoek, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,210 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 CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,585
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,125–£2,210

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

Places to stay · 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.