The Barracks, Taiwan

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Taipei, is 60 km away. Nearest airport: Taipei Songshan International Airport (TSA), 60 km.

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About The Barracks

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

The spot faces NE (53°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (233°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 23°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 2 good days in 7; in June, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Taipei, is 60 km away. Nearest airport: Taipei Songshan International Airport (TSA), 60 km.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 21 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), direct.
See flights ORD → TPE · Skyscanner from about £675 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 45 from the airport to The Barracks.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Taipei, is 60 km away. Nearest airport: Taipei Songshan International Airport (TSA), 60 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in The Barracks · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in The Barracks · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Barracks on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at The Barracks, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	26, too small	2 ft5 smushy	20kJ	wind from the south-west, 2 knots, offshore	28°C
Mon 19Oct	36, fair	3 ft6 smushy	44kJ	wind from the north-west, 2 knots	28°C
Tue 20Oct	43, fair	5 ft9 scrumbling	311kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots	27°C
Wed 21Oct	0, too big	8 ft11 scrumbling	1,374kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 7 knots	27°C
Thu 22Oct	0, too big	17 ft14 smushy	9,733kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 16 knots	25°C
Fri 23Oct	0, too big	21 ft13 smushy	13,273kJ	wind from the north, 23 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	23, poor	5 ft8 smushy	219kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 38 knots	28°C
Sun 25Oct	18, poor	5 ft6 smushy	178kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 11 knots	28°C
Mon 26Oct	27, too small	2 ft6 smushy	38kJ	wind from the west, 1 knot, offshore	29°C
Tue 27Oct	24, too small	2 ft8 shollow	49kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots	27°C
Wed 28Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

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 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to TPE, then 1h 45 by road. About 21h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf The Barracks
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 25 of 80.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to TPE, then 1h 45 by road. About 21h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,000–£1,980 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to TPE, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag	£675–£1,405
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£70–£115
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£1,000–£1,980

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

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In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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