Back to results

The Toilet (Chowpoo), South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Gansbaai

Watch this spot We email you when The Toilet (Chowpoo) is worth the trip.

Wilderness WC
Western Cape, the wider area. Photo: Andresdewet at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Toilet (Chowpoo)

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

The spot faces W (279°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (99°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 56). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Gansbaai, 1.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 dive site.

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 27 h 45 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. 2 h from the airport to The Toilet (Chowpoo).

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in GansbaaiAd

    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 Gansbaai · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Gansbaai · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Toilet (Chowpoo) 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 experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct549 ft9 ssoft1,343kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct337 ft8 smushy493kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct146 ft7 smushy302kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct179 ft9 smushy1,197kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct198 ft8 smushy687kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct376 ft9 ssoft419kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct184 ft8 smushy195kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct103 ft7 smushy58kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct254 ft8 smushy198kJ19°C
Tue 27Oct143 ft5 smushy52kJ17°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 2h by road. About 27h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Danger Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

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

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf De Kelders

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

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Danger Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 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 2h by road. About 27h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Gansbaai each day: Danger Point, De Kelders, Gansbaai Reefs, Stinky Pits!, The Toilet (Chowpoo).

The trip from Gansbaai, 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 Gansbaai

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.