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Paternoster, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Paternoster

All 16 on Paternoster's map

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Paternoster South Africa 1
Paternoster, the nearest town. Photo: Octagon, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Paternoster

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

The spot faces NW (319°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (139°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 133). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Paternoster, 0.1 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.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 28 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

    See flights MDW → CPT · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 50 from the airport to Paternoster.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PaternosterAd

    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 Paternoster · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Paternoster · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Paternoster 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

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct369 ft10 ssoft1,280kJ17°C
Mon 19Oct457 ft9 ssoft724kJ18°C
Tue 20Oct285 ft8 smushy302kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct258 ft8 smushy762kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct467 ft8 ssoft589kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct427 ft8 ssoft551kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct224 ft8 smushy223kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct102 ft7 smushy51kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct223 ft9 ssoft168kJ22°C
Tue 27Oct195 ft6 smushy113kJ24°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 CPT, changing at ATL, then 2h 50 by road. About 28h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf The Pit

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf The Pit

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, wind 15 kn (27 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Klein Trekoskraal

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf The Pit

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 2h 50 by road. About 28h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Paternoster each day: Klein Trekoskraal, Paternoster, The Pit.

The trip from Paternoster, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,210 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 CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,585
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£1,125–£2,210

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

Places to eat near Paternoster

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.