Spookies, Australia
Also within 20 km of Yamba
- Yamba Kite spot · 0.1 km from Yamba
- Pippies Surf spot · 1.2 km from Yamba
- Turners Beach Surf spot · 1.2 km from Yamba
- Razors Surf spot · 1.3 km from Yamba
- North Wall - Iluka Surf spot · 2.3 km from Yamba
- Frasers Reef Surf spot · 3.1 km from Yamba
- Angourie Surf spot · 4.9 km from Yamba
- Iluka Bluff Surf spot · 5 km from Yamba
Watch this spot We email you when Spookies is worth the trip.

About Spookies
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces E (84°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (264°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 20°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Yamba, 4.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. 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 30 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
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 returnAdGetting there. 4 h 20 from the airport to Spookies.
Accommodation.
Stay in YambaAd
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 Yamba (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Angourie 1 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 4 places to stay
Places to stay in Angourie · Booking.com AdYamba 8 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 35 places to stay · where Spookies stays
Places to stay in Yamba · Booking.com AdIluka 15 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 15 places to stay
Places to stay in Iluka · Booking.com AdMinnie Water 59 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 5 places to stay
Places to stay in Minnie Water · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Yamba · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Yamba · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Spookies on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Spookies does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 33, poor | 4 ft7 shollow | 142kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 49, good | 4 ft5 smushy | 65kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 48, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 110kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 42, fair | 4 ft6 smushy | 117kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 3 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 23, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 77kJ | wind from the north-east, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 29, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 72kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 30, poor | 4 ft5 smushy | 92kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 26, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 66kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 47, fair | 3 ft6 smushy | 53kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 11 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 15, too small | 2 ft6 shollow | 35kJ | wind from the south, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 17, too small | 2 ft6 shollow | 21kJ | wind from the south, 12 knots | 19°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 4h 20 by road. About 30h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Spookies
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Frasers Reef
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctSurf Spookies
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Spookies
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 5 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to BNE, changing at LAX, then 4h 20 by road. About 30h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Yamba each day: Frasers Reef, Pippies, Razors, Spookies, Turners Beach.
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.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to BNE, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £795–£1,650 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £110–£180 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £240–£395 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £245–£455 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 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 Yamba
- Seafire Steak and SeafoodSteakhouse · 0.1 km from the centre
- Karrikin YambaAustralian · 0.3 km from the centre
- The MexicanMexican · 0.3 km from the centre
- DriftPizza · 0.4 km from the centre
- El OcasoMediterranean · 0.4 km from the centre
- Thai Payu RestaurantThai · 0.5 km from the centre
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
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.