Manresa, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Capitola, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MRY (MRY), 39 km.

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

About Manresa

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

The spot faces SW (226°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (46°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 37). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Capitola, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MRY (MRY), 39 km.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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 7 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MRY, direct.
See flights ORD → MRY · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Manresa.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Capitola, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MRY (MRY), 39 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Manresa · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Manresa · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Manresa on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Manresa, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	48, good	5 ft8 ssoft	269kJ	wind from the east, 3 knots, offshore	20°C
Mon 19Oct	37, fair	5 ft8 ssoft	346kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot	16°C
Tue 20Oct	26, poor	5 ft10 scrumbling	415kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore	18°C
Wed 21Oct	48, good	5 ft9 ssoft	310kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore	16°C
Thu 22Oct	21, too small	2 ft9 scrumbling	76kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots	17°C
Fri 23Oct	49, good	4 ft6 smushy	122kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots	19°C
Sat 24Oct	44, fair	5 ft7 smushy	196kJ	wind from the south, 3 knots	17°C
Sun 25Oct	20, too small	3 ft7 smushy	90kJ	wind from the west, 7 knots	16°C
Mon 26Oct	45, fair	4 ft7 smushy	180kJ	wind from the south-east, 1 knot	13°C
Tue 27Oct	31, too small	3 ft7 smushy	102kJ	wind from the south-east, 2 knots	16°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
Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 1h by road. About 7h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Manresa
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Manresa
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Manresa
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Manresa
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 1h by road. About 7h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £700–£1,310 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 MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag	£225–£465
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£65–£110
Food	7 days eating out	£260–£480
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£115–£190
Total		£700–£1,310

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

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.