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Shells, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Melkbosstrand

All 29 on Melkbosstrand's map

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

Beach at Melkbosstrand
Melkbosstrand, the nearest town, 4 km away. Photo: Ossewa, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Shells

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

The spot faces W (270°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (90°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 83). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Melkbosstrand, 4.1 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 17 surf spots and 2 wind sports 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 26 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

    See flights MDW → CPT · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Shells.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MelkbosstrandAd

    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 Melkbosstrand · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Melkbosstrand · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Shells on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct529 ft10 ssoft1,467kJ17°C
Mon 19Oct477 ft9 ssoft685kJ18°C
Tue 20Oct365 ft8 smushy305kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct269 ft8 smushy984kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct478 ft8 smushy678kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct467 ft8 ssoft560kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct234 ft8 smushy199kJ25°C
Sun 25Oct62 ft7 smushy45kJ22°C
Mon 26Oct154 ft9 ssoft178kJ23°C
Tue 27Oct133 ft6 smushy69kJ30°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 50 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Van Riebeek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Shells

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 9 ft at 8 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Shells

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 8 ft at 8 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Van Riebeek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 50 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 19 spots near Melkbosstrand each day: 11th Ave Melkbos Strand, 1ste Steen, 2de Steen, 3de Steen, Beach road, Big Bay, Captains, Crayfish Reef, Derde Steen, Haakgat Point, Holbaai, Horse Trails, Kamer van 17, Little Bay, Shells, Slabberts, Snottballs, Tube Wave, Van Riebeek.

The trip from Melkbosstrand, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,210 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 CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,585
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,125–£2,210

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

Places to eat near Melkbosstrand

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.