Malibu, Panama

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: San Carlos, 15 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PAC (PAC), 56 km.

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About Malibu

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

The spot faces SE (151°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (331°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 15). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 25°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually July, with about 5 good days in 7; in January, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: San Carlos, 15 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PAC (PAC), 56 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 10 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to PTY, direct.
See flights ORD → PTY · Skyscanner from about £265 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 40 from the airport to Malibu.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: San Carlos, 15 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PAC (PAC), 56 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Malibu · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Malibu · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Malibu on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for beginner surfers at Malibu, each day
Day	Score for beginners	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	28, too small	1 ft14 shollow	45kJ	wind from the east, 4 knots	29°C
Mon 19Oct	30, too small	1 ft10 shollow	31kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 1 knot	31°C
Tue 20Oct	24, too small	1 ft10 shollow	25kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore	29°C
Wed 21Oct	20, too small	1 ft9 shollow	17kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots	27°C
Thu 22Oct	22, too small	1 ft12 shollow	21kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore	28°C
Fri 23Oct	21, too small	1 ft12 shollow	27kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots, offshore	29°C
Sat 24Oct	22, too small	1 ft11 shollow	26kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore	28°C
Sun 25Oct	17, too small	1 ft10 shollow	12kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots	29°C
Mon 26Oct	17, too small	1 ft9 shollow	10kJ	wind from the north-east, 4 knots	29°C
Tue 27Oct	13, too small	1 ft8 shollow	8kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 2 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 beginner surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 1h 40 by road. About 10h 55 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 1h 40 by road. About 10h 55 door to door

Rough cost

About £535–£1,040 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 ORD to PTY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag	£265–£550
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£55–£95
Food	7 days eating out	£125–£235
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£55–£95
Total		£535–£1,040

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

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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