Sandwood Bay, UK
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About Sandwood Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (317°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (137°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 61). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 14°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Kinlochbervie, 9.4 km away (about 20 min by car).
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 18 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to INV, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).
See flights ORD → INV · Skyscanner from about £370 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to Sandwood Bay.
Accommodation.
Stay in KinlochbervieAd
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 Kinlochbervie (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Kinlochbervie 16 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 5 places to stay · where Sandwood Bay stays
Places to stay in Kinlochbervie · Booking.com AdDurness 32 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 12 places to stay
Places to stay in Durness · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Kinlochbervie · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Kinlochbervie · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Sandwood Bay on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 23, too small | 4 ft8 smushy | 206kJ | wind from the south, 10 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 61, good | 9 ft11 ssoft | 1,847kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 72, good | 7 ft11 ssoft | 1,178kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 63, good | 7 ft10 ssoft | 899kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 28, too small | 6 ft8 ssoft | 381kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 9°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 36, fair | 6 ft9 ssoft | 449kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 8°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 52, good | 6 ft10 ssoft | 709kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 2, too small | 2 ft10 smushy | 57kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 31 knots | 9°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 19, too small | 6 ft11 ssoft | 658kJ | wind from the south-west, 18 knots | 8°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 39, fair | 5 ft8 ssoft | 325kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 8°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to INV, changing at DUB, then 2h 30 by road. About 18h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Sandwood Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 7 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Sandwood Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 7 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Sandwood Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Sandwood Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Sandwood Bay
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to INV, changing at DUB, then 2h 30 by road. About 18h 10 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,100–£2,040 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to INV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £370–£765 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £105–£175 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £250–£420 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £240–£445 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£170 |
| Total | £1,100–£2,040 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.