Wells bay, Netherlands

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Philipsburg, 48 km away, is the nearest town we list.

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About Wells bay

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

The spot faces W (287°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (107°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–17 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 5). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in August, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Philipsburg, 48 km away, is the nearest town we list. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 1 wind sports spot and 9 dive sites.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 9 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SXM, direct.
See flights ORD → SXM · Skyscanner from about £255 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to Wells bay.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Philipsburg, 48 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Wells bay · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Wells bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Wells bay 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 Wells bay, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	16, too small	2 ft9 shollow	49kJ	wind from the east, 8 knots, offshore	29°C
Mon 19Oct	19, too small	2 ft8 shollow	56kJ	wind from the east, 7 knots, offshore	29°C
Tue 20Oct	42, fair	3 ft11 shollow	250kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore	29°C
Wed 21Oct	38, fair	3 ft9 shollow	180kJ	wind from the south-east, 9 knots, offshore	29°C
Thu 22Oct	36, fair	3 ft9 shollow	128kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots, offshore	29°C
Fri 23Oct	47, fair	4 ft9 shollow	197kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 13 knots, offshore	29°C
Sat 24Oct	36, fair	3 ft9 shollow	158kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 15 knots, offshore	29°C
Sun 25Oct	23, too small	2 ft9 shollow	82kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 14 knots, offshore	30°C
Mon 26Oct	15, too small	2 ft7 shollow	28kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 14 knots, offshore	29°C
Tue 27Oct	44, fair	4 ft9 shollow	199kJ	wind from the east, 10 knots, offshore	29°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 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to SXM, then 1h 10 by road. About 9h 55 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Wells bay
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Wells bay
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Wells bay
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Wells bay
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to SXM, then 1h 10 by road. About 9h 55 door to door

Rough cost

About £580–£1,100 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 SXM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag	£255–£525
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		£580–£1,100

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

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