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Pumphouse, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Sydney

All 80 on Sydney's map

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00 3178 Sydney, Australia
Sydney, the nearest town, 10 km away. Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Pumphouse

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

The spot faces E (85°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (265°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 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 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, May, June and September, with about 2 good days in 7; in January and February, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sydney. Within 5 km we also list 8 surf spots, 2 wind sports spots and 1 dive site.

Water about 20°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 27 h 20 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. 30 min from the airport to Pumphouse.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Sydney, 10 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Pumphouse: 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 Sydney, 10 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 Sydney · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Sydney · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pumphouse on Google Maps · Directions

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Live webcam

Maroubra Beach

Open the webcam on randwick.nsw.gov.au

Near Pumphouse, 3 km away

Open the webcam on randwick.nsw.gov.au

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Forecast

Pumphouse 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 18Oct465 ft7 smushy188kJ19°C
Mon 19Oct353 ft6 smushy69kJ20°C
Tue 20Oct233 ft5 smushy45kJ20°C
Wed 21Oct233 ft5 smushy36kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct233 ft5 smushy63kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct124 ft5 smushy75kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct305 ft6 smushy128kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct335 ft7 smushy167kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct524 ft7 smushy134kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct393 ft6 smushy92kJ21°C
Wed 28Oct171 ft7 shollow13kJ18°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 SYD, changing at LAX, then 30 min by road. About 27h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Pumphouse

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Pumphouse

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Pumphouse

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 23 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Pumphouse

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (8 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 30 min by road. About 27h 20 door to door

The trip from Sydney, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,460–£2,820 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£15–£25
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£1,460–£2,820

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

Places to eat near Sydney

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: Sydney, 10 km (about 20 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.