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Pondie, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Marion Bay

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

About Pondie

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

The spot faces SE (149°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (329°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 51). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Marion Bay, 9.1 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

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 31 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Adelaide International Airport (ADL), changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

    See flights MDW → ADL · Skyscanner from about £875 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h from the airport to Pondie.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Marion 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 Marion Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Marion Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct213 ft11 scrumbling161kJ28°C
Mon 19Oct526 ft12 ssoft750kJ25°C
Tue 20Oct315 ft10 ssoft522kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct124 ft12 scrumbling434kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft13 ssoft1,961kJ24°C
Fri 23Oct08 ft12 ssoft1,825kJ25°C
Sat 24Oct08 ft12 ssoft1,695kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct09 ft10 smushy1,353kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct08 ft11 ssoft1,351kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct134 ft10 ssoft377kJ17°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

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 ADL, changing at SFO, then 3h by road. About 31h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Cape Spencer

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Cape Spencer

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 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
    Rest day

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

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to ADL, changing at SFO, then 3h by road. About 31h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Marion Bay each day: Cape Spencer, Pondie, Willyama Bay.

The trip from Marion Bay, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,610–£3,090 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 ADL, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£875–£1,820
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£110–£180
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£1,610–£3,090

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

Places to eat near Marion 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.