Back to results

Mousehole Reef, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Mousehole

All 15 on Mousehole's map

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

Mousehole harbour1
Mousehole Reef. Photo: Jhsteel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Mousehole Reef

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

The spot faces SE (152°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (332°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–15 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 9). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in August, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Mousehole, 0.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.

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 16 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → NQY · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 15 from the airport to Mousehole Reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MouseholeAd

    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 Mousehole · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Mousehole · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mousehole Reef 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

Mousehole Reef 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 18Oct152 ft5 shollow18kJ12°C
Mon 19Oct202 ft12 shollow127kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct223 ft10 shollow196kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct294 ft11 shollow358kJ13°C
Thu 22Oct65 ft9 smushy370kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct215 ft11 shollow524kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct105 ft9 shollow318kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct394 ft9 shollow239kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct184 ft9 shollow295kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct154 ft8 shollow159kJ14°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 ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 15 by road. About 16h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Mousehole Reef

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 9 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Mousehole Reef

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 20 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 15 by road. About 16h 50 door to door

The trip from Mousehole, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,110–£2,070 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 ORD to NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£380–£795
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,110–£2,070

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

Places to eat near Mousehole

  • 2 Fore Street RestaurantSeafood · 0.1 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Aug 2026
  • Orange Cafe BarVegetarian · in the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Aug 2025

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; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). 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.