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Shark bay, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Evans Head

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

Evans Head
Evans Head, the nearest town. Photo: Gladiator-Citizen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Shark bay

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

The spot faces E (69°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (249°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 1.0 km out (1 in 100). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 21°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Evans Head, 0.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 22°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 29 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Brisbane International Airport (BNE), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

    See flights MDW → BNE · Skyscanner from about £795 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 40 from the airport to Shark bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Evans HeadAd

    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 Evans Head · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Evans Head · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Shark bay 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
Mon 19Oct584 ft6 smushy110kJ18°C
Tue 20Oct505 ft6 smushy145kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct504 ft6 smushy129kJ23°C
Thu 22Oct334 ft6 smushy92kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct504 ft6 smushy86kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct404 ft6 smushy109kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct314 ft6 smushy101kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct334 ft5 smushy68kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct162 ft5 smushy22kJ23°C
Wed 28Oct162 ft7 smushy40kJ22°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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Tue 20 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 3h 40 by road. About 29h 50 door to door

  2. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Shark bay

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Shark bay

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  4. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Shark bay

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  5. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Shark bay

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  6. Sun 25 Oct
    Surf Shark bay

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 9 kn (16 km/h).

  7. Mon 26 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 3h 40 by road. About 29h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Evans Head each day: Evans Head - Main Beach, Shark bay.

The trip from Evans Head, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,530–£2,920 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 BNE, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£795–£1,650
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£1,530–£2,920

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

Places to eat near Evans Head

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.