Back to results

Mona Vale Basin, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Manly

All 78 on Manly's map

Watch this spot We email you when Mona Vale Basin is worth the trip.

Manly Wharf 2006
Manly, the nearest town, 13 km away. Photo: Anonymous Unknown author?, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Mona Vale Basin

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

The spot faces E (106°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (286°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 18°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Manly. Within 5 km we also list 15 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. 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 27 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

    See flights MDW → SYD · Skyscanner from about £820 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Mona Vale Basin.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Manly, 13 km (about 25 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Mona Vale Basin: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Manly, 13 km away 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 Manly · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Manly · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mona Vale Basin on Google Maps · Directions

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct234 ft7 shollow175kJ20°C
Mon 19Oct123 ft6 shollow66kJ20°C
Tue 20Oct113 ft5 smushy49kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct113 ft5 smushy46kJ22°C
Thu 22Oct93 ft6 smushy62kJ22°C
Fri 23Oct104 ft5 smushy80kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct185 ft6 smushy122kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct305 ft6 smushy191kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct244 ft7 shollow129kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct83 ft7 shollow85kJ18°C
Wed 28Oct21 ft7 smushy14kJ15°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 55 min by road. About 27h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 55 min by road. About 27h 45 door to door

The trip from Manly, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,500–£2,885 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 SYD, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£820–£1,705
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£55–£90
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£240–£395
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£105–£175
Total£1,500–£2,885

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

Places to eat near Manly

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

Nearest beds: Manly, 13 km (about 25 min by car) · 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.