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U-Turns, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Cape Schanck

All 34 on Cape Schanck's map

Watch this spot We email you when U-Turns is worth the trip.

About U-Turns

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

The spot faces SW (230°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (50°). 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 13°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cape Schanck, 3.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 29 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. 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

  2. Getting there. 1 h 55 from the airport to U-Turns.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Cape SchanckAd

    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 Cape Schanck · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Cape Schanck · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

U-Turns 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

U-Turns 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct302 ft10 shollow71kJ21°C
Mon 19Oct694 ft11 shollow303kJ21°C
Tue 20Oct553 ft10 shollow219kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct583 ft9 shollow178kJ22°C
Thu 22Oct07 ft12 shollow1,152kJ23°C
Fri 23Oct06 ft12 shollow895kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct55 ft11 smushy617kJ21°C
Sun 25Oct265 ft11 shollow576kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct07 ft9 smushy680kJ13°C
Tue 27Oct06 ft10 shollow561kJ15°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

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

    Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 1h 55 by road. About 29h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Cape Schanck

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Gunnamatta

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 1h 55 by road. About 29h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Cape Schanck each day: Bushrangers bay, Cape Schanck, Gunnamatta, U-Turns.

The trip from Cape Schanck, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,590–£3,050 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 MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£855–£1,780
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£110–£180
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£240–£395
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£105–£175
Total£1,590–£3,050

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

Places to eat near Cape Schanck

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.