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Folkestone Wear Bay, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Folkestone

Watch this spot We email you when Folkestone Wear Bay is worth the trip.

East Cliff arches and beach
Near Folkestone Wear Bay, 2 km away. Photo: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Folkestone Wear Bay

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

The spot faces SE (148°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (328°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Folkestone, 2.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

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 14 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights ORD → LHR · Skyscanner from about £395 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to Folkestone Wear Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in FolkestoneAd

    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 Folkestone · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Folkestone · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Folkestone Wear Bay 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

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct101 ft6 s12kJ10°C
Mon 19Oct92 ft5 s12kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct142 ft4 s20kJ12°C
Wed 21Oct72 ft4 s12kJ13°C
Thu 22Oct384 ft6 s92kJ13°C
Fri 23Oct53 ft8 s80kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct223 ft6 s48kJ11°C
Sun 25Oct31 ft6 s7kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct152 ft8 s66kJ13°C
Tue 27Oct21 ft5 s3kJ16°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. 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 LHR, then 2h 30 by road. About 14h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 23 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Folkestone East Cliff Reef

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

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

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 2h 30 by road. About 14h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Folkestone each day: Folkestone East Cliff Reef, Folkestone East Cliff Sands, Folkestone Wear Bay.

The trip from Folkestone, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,095 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 LHR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£395–£820
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,125–£2,095

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

Places to eat near Folkestone

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; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits

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.