French Bay, Bahamas

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Port Nelson, 45 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: ZSA (ZSA), 13 km.

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About French Bay

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

The spot faces S (176°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (356°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, April, September and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Port Nelson, 45 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: ZSA (ZSA), 13 km.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 11 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to ZSA, changing at Miami International Airport (MIA).
See flights MDW → ZSA · Skyscanner from about £190 returnAd
Getting there. 35 min from the airport to French Bay.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Port Nelson, 45 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: ZSA (ZSA), 13 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in French Bay · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in French Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

French Bay 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 French Bay, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	22, too small	2 ft6 shollow	28kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 1 knot	29°C
Mon 19Oct	0, too big	7 ft10 shollow	816kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots	27°C
Tue 20Oct	0, too big	7 ft9 shollow	768kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots	27°C
Wed 21Oct	40, fair	5 ft8 shollow	289kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore	27°C
Thu 22Oct	39, fair	5 ft9 shollow	345kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore	27°C
Fri 23Oct	47, fair	4 ft9 shollow	232kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 14 knots, offshore	27°C
Sat 24Oct	31, poor	3 ft8 shollow	100kJ	wind from the east, 8 knots	27°C
Sun 25Oct	23, poor	4 ft7 shollow	125kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots	27°C
Mon 26Oct	0, too big	8 ft8 shollow	848kJ	wind from the south-west, 7 knots	28°C
Tue 27Oct	23, poor	5 ft9 shollow	311kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore	28°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 MDW to ZSA, changing at MIA, then 35 min by road. About 11h door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf French Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf French Bay
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf French Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf French Bay
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to ZSA, changing at MIA, then 35 min by road. About 11h door to door

Rough cost

About £465–£895 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 MDW to ZSA, estimated from distance and season, changing at MIA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£190–£400
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£20–£35
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£465–£895

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

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Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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