West Pass, United States
Also within 20 km of Gulf Shores
- Terry's Cove Surf spot · 10.5 km from Gulf Shores
Watch this spot We email you when West Pass is worth the trip.
About West Pass
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces S (171°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (351°). 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 very gently: 10 m deep about 2.0 km out (1 in 200). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 18°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Gulf Shores, 5.8 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 5 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PNS, direct.
See flights MDW → PNS · Skyscanner from about £140 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 20 from the airport to West Pass.
Accommodation.
Stay in Gulf ShoresAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Gulf Shores (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Gulf Shores 10 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 36 places to stay · where West Pass stays
Places to stay in Gulf Shores · Booking.com AdOrange Beach 26 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 56 places to stay
Places to stay in Orange Beach · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Gulf Shores · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Gulf Shores · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury Where it is
West Pass on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 27, poor | 4 ft5 smushy | 63kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 39, fair | 3 ft5 smushy | 37kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 32, too small | 3 ft4 smushy | 22kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 28, too small | 2 ft4 smushy | 17kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 18, too small | 2 ft4 smushy | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 6, too small | 1 ft4 smushy | 2kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 25, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 25kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 39, fair | 3 ft5 smushy | 44kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 32, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 33kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 6, too small | 1 ft3 smushy | 1kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 23°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 OctTravel out
Direct flight MDW to PNS, then 1h 20 by road. About 5h 25 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf West Pass
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 3 ft at 4 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to PNS, then 1h 20 by road. About 5h 25 door to door
Rough cost
About £935–£1,670 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to PNS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £140–£290 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £115–£190 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £270–£455 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £935–£1,670 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Gulf Shores
- The Cove Bar & GrillBar and grill · 0.3 km from the centre
- Godfather's PizzaPizza · 0.4 km from the centre
- Efes Greek KitchenGreek · 0.5 km from the centre
- Fish River GrillSeafood · 0.5 km from the centre
- PHO-MO Asian kitchen & grill gulf shoresAsian · 0.5 km from the centre
- Poke Bowl Sushi Burrito & BobaPoke · 0.5 km from the centre
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
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Where to stayAd
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