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Shark Bay, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Iluka

All 10 on Iluka's map

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

About Shark Bay

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

The spot faces NE (44°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (224°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.1 km out (1 in 109). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 20°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Iluka, 5.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 21°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 30 h 20 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. 4 h 05 from the airport to Shark Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in IlukaAd

    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 Iluka · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Iluka · 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 beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct04 ft5 smushy70kJ21°C
Mon 19Oct123 ft5 smushy57kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct04 ft6 smushy110kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct04 ft6 smushy119kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct63 ft6 smushy72kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct04 ft5 smushy78kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct123 ft7 smushy60kJ25°C
Sun 25Oct83 ft7 smushy92kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct423 ft6 smushy49kJ32°C
Tue 27Oct322 ft6 smushy35kJ23°C
Wed 28Oct322 ft6 smushy23kJ19°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 beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 4h 05 by road. About 30h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

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

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

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

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 25 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 26 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 4h 05 by road. About 30h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Iluka each day: Iluka Bluff, North Wall - Iluka, Shark Bay, Woody Head.

The trip from Iluka, 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 Iluka

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.