Tidal River, Australia

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Venus Bay, is 58 km away. Nearest airport: MBW (MBW), 158 km.

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

About Tidal River

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

The spot faces SW (210°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (30°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 75). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually April, May, June and July, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Venus Bay, is 58 km away. Nearest airport: MBW (MBW), 158 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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 31 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Melbourne Airport (MEL), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
See flights MDW → MEL · Skyscanner from about £855 returnAd
Getting there. 3 h 45 from the airport to Tidal River.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Venus Bay, is 58 km away. Nearest airport: MBW (MBW), 158 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Tidal River · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Tidal River · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Tidal River on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Tidal River, each day
Day	Score for experts	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	12, too small	3 ft5 smushy	55kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots	17°C
Mon 19Oct	11, too small	2 ft11 ssoft	82kJ	wind from the east, 9 knots	21°C
Tue 20Oct	16, too small	3 ft10 ssoft	129kJ	wind from the north, 9 knots, offshore	21°C
Wed 21Oct	15, too small	3 ft9 ssoft	99kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots	20°C
Thu 22Oct	29, too small	4 ft12 ssoft	361kJ	wind from the north-west, 5 knots	22°C
Fri 23Oct	23, too small	4 ft12 ssoft	331kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots	24°C
Sat 24Oct	12, too small	4 ft11 ssoft	287kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 15 knots	20°C
Sun 25Oct	23, too small	4 ft11 ssoft	306kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots	13°C
Mon 26Oct	5, too small	3 ft11 smushy	248kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 21 knots	11°C
Tue 27Oct	22, too small	5 ft10 smushy	365kJ	wind from the south-west, 8 knots	12°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 expert surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 3h 45 by road. About 31h 35 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 3h 45 by road. About 31h 35 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,350–£2,655 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 MDW to MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£855–£1,780
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£110–£180
Food	7 days eating out	£245–£455
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£105–£175
Total		£1,350–£2,655

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

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

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.