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Mdumbi, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Coffee Bay

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

About Mdumbi

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

The spot faces SE (129°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (309°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 27). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 21°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May and June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Coffee Bay, 8.8 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 32 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to UTT, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB).

    See flights MDW → UTT · Skyscanner from about £795 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 30 from the airport to Mdumbi.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Coffee BayAd

    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 Coffee Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Coffee Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mdumbi 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

Mdumbi does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct325 ft8 smushy321kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct216 ft9 scrumbling424kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct285 ft7 smushy190kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct424 ft7 smushy146kJ24°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft9 scrumbling860kJ22°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft8 smushy519kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct384 ft8 smushy135kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct423 ft7 smushy83kJ24°C
Mon 26Oct194 ft6 smushy110kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct335 ft6 smushy160kJ20°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to UTT, changing at ATL and JNB, then 1h 30 by road. About 32h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Mdumbi

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Mdumbi

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Mdumbi

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to UTT, changing at ATL and JNB, then 1h 30 by road. About 32h door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Coffee Bay each day: Coffee Bay point, Mdumbi.

The trip from Coffee Bay, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,155–£2,280 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 UTT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and JNB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£795–£1,655
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£1,155–£2,280

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

Places to eat near Coffee Bay

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. 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.