Back to results

Southbourne, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Bournemouth

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

About Southbourne

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

The spot faces S (171°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (351°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 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 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Bournemouth, 6.7 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 14 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LHR, direct.

    See flights ORD → LHR · Skyscanner from about £395 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to Southbourne.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in BournemouthAd

    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 Bournemouth · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Bournemouth · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Southbourne on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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
Sun 18Oct31 ft5 s1kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct11 ft4 smushy1kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct102 ft4 smushy6kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct92 ft7 smushy41kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct223 ft6 smushy80kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct214 ft10 scrumbling228kJ11°C
Sat 24Oct112 ft6 smushy28kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct183 ft7 smushy85kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct32 ft8 smushy39kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct21 ft11 smushy20kJ17°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

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 2h 30 by road. About 14h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Boscombe Pier

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, wind 8 kn (14 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 27 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 2h 30 by road. About 14h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Bournemouth each day: Boscombe Pier, Bournemouth, Bournemouth Pier, Southbourne.

The trip from Bournemouth, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,095 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 ORD to LHR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£395–£820
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,125–£2,095

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

Places to eat near Bournemouth

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; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). 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.